The Nürburgring Diaries Archives Volume Xll

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The RingDiary Archives - Volume Xll

The next instalment of your favorite Diary is now ready.
Enjoy.

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The Nurburgring Diary: Volume XII

From: Soulidarity | Posted: 11/26/2005 12:31:40 PM | Message Detail

Not to steal Amarynceus' thunder or anything, but as the previous diary is almost full, I thought I'd copy/paste the intro for him to get the next one rolling.

Saturday, November 26, 2005

Welcome to the Nürburgring Diary, founded by sackedagain, and home to those who simply cannot get enough of the fabled Nürburgring Nordschleife, often referred to simply as the "Ring". The Diary is a forum for sharing virtual experiences of
the Ring between Virtual Ringers. Here is where those who love the Ring can get together and share their stories about this fabulous and sometimes terrifying track, site of intense Grand Prix racing from the '20s until Niki Lauda's fearful immolation in 1976. After this, Grand Prix departed the 'Ring forever.
It still occupies an important place in the automotive world, being a site of near-constant testing by almost all major manufacturers, and a valuable proving ground. There is even a real-life 24 hour race that takes place every year.

So, come in, kick back, sit down, and share your virtual experiences of the Nürburgring Nordschleife, dubbed the "Green Hell" by the eminent Sir Jackie Stewart. Welcome, welcome!

Here are a few sites which may help expand your enjoyment of this demanding track:

Two good overall sites:
www.nurburgring.org.uk
www.heiser.net/documents/nurburgring/

Maps:
luuk.xs4all.nl/ring/
www.bremo.nl/pdf/nordschleife.pdf

And some nice photographs:
perso.wanadoo.fr/olivier.jacquet/Historique%20sommaire%20E.htm

Finally, here's a direct link to a list of the bend names:
www.nurburgring.org.uk/bendnames/index.html

---

From: Soulidarity | Posted: 11/26/2005 12:35:29 PM | Message Detail

There are now 3 weekly activities that we conduct here at the Diary; the Weekend Rider; (WR), Budget Rider; (BR), and our newest institution, the Racecar Rider (RR).

The Weekend Rider; is the oldest. In this one person (generally chosen by the last to have the pick) picks a car that they think will be amusing, enlightening, joyful, aggravating, or fun for the other Diary readers. The pick is announced sometime on Friday, preferably before too late. For the rest of the weekend, we share our experiences, be they positive or negative, with our fellow
'Ringers. Lap times are not of the utmost importance, though we do share them, compare them, and try if we can to come closest to the best. It is not a competition! Though at times it may seem that way, it really isn't. What is important is how you achieve your lap times.

The WR; is run stock, on the tyres it comes on, with an oil change permitted. It should be a street car and comply with the noise regulations of the real Nürburgring -- i.e. stock exhaust. Also, it should be buyable or, if winnable, easily winnable. (No gold license prizes, mission prizes or Endurance/Extreme
Hall prizes, thank you very much.) You may use the driving aids if you so desire, but most of us run them with all aids off.

The BR; is the middle sibling; in this, someone (basically the first person to think up an idea for the week) announces around Monday a set of rules,
consisting in a budget of some form, and restrictions on permissible
modifications and allowed cars. Then we all go out, blow money, and share the results.

The RR; is the newest addition; for this someone selects one of the Race Cars available, announces it on Wednesday, and we all take it for a spin. Cars are run as-is with an oil change, and you may tweak the tunable bits if you want. As of yet we have no protocol for choosing the chooser of theRR.
Ask, and ye may receive.

From: Soulidarity | Posted: 11/26/2005 12:36:48 PM | Message Detail

Here is a partially complete list of previous WRs and RRs:

WRs:
Lancia Stratos '73
Aston Martin DB9 '03
BMW M5 '05
Holden Manaro CV8 '04
BMW Z4 '03
Chevrolet Corvette Stingray L46 350 (C3) '69
Renault Clio Sport V6
Ford F150 Lightning
Jaguar S-Type R '02
RUF BTR '86
NISMO Fairlady Z S-tune concept '02
Lotus Esprit Turbo HC '87
Chrysler 300C '05
Seat Ibiza Cupra '04
Jaguar E-Type Coupe '61
Audi TT 3.2 '03
Hommel Berlinette R/S '99
Ford GT '05
Mazda 110S (L10B) '68
Audi Quattro '82
Cadillac Cien '02
Nissan 350Z Gran Turismo 4 Limited Edition (Z33) '05
AC 427 S/C '66
Spyker C8 Laviolette '01
Caterham Seven Fire Blade '02
Nissan Skyline GT-R (R32) '89
Mazda6 5-door '03
Buick Special '62
Opel Speedster Turbo '00
Proto Motors Spirra 4.6 V8 '04

RRs:
RE Amemiya AMEMIYA ASPARADRINK RX7 (JGTC) '04
BMW 320i Touring Car '03
Chevrolet Corvette C5R (C5) '00
Audi Abt TT-R Touring Car '02
Chapparal 2J Racecar '70
Toyota SUPERAUTOBACS APEX MR-S '00
Chevrolet Corvette Z06 (C2) Race Car '63
Ford GT40 Race Car '69
Lancia Delta S4 Rally Car '85
Honda S800 RSC Race Car '68
Jaguar XJR-9 Race Car '88
Subaru Impreza Super Touring Car


From: Soulidarity | Posted: 11/26/2005 12:39:29 PM | Message Detail

Also, if anyone would be interested, I am willing to set up a blog for the specific purpose of keeping WRs, RRs, and even more importantly BRs archived. If so, I'd take any info on old BRs that can be gathered, and I'll simply copy/paste any new BRs to the blog.

---

From: Von | Posted: 11/26/2005 3:09:44 PM | Message Detail
I dont think anyone will mind. I finished off the old thread for us.
---

From: wanderingmuse22 | Posted: 11/26/2005 3:25:04 PM | Message Detail

Here are the WR's added during version XI:


Nissan Skyline GT-R R34 V-Spec II Nur '02
MG TF160 '03
HPA Motorsports Stage II R32 '04
TVR Griffith 500 '94
Cizeta V16T '94
Plymouth Super Bird '70
Chevrolet Camaro IROC-Z Concept '88 (current WR)


Soulidarity, a 'Ring Diary blog is an excellent idea. We'll have to pool our collective memories to get the BR's documented. Some of the one's I remember offhand:

Duplicate the Rally Car
Beat the M5
(Wild) Turkey Run
Budget Ricer
Audi or VW only
Crazy Uncle's One Lap Magic

I know I'm missing lots of them, but I figure we can get most of them recalled to at least an entertaining faximile.

---

From: Soulidarity | Posted: 11/26/2005 3:39:11 PM | Message Detail

Thanks Muse, I was planning to fish back through the old topic for those to post them.

Also, there has been one new RR that should be added to the list:

Chaparral 2D Race Car


From: Soulidarity | Posted: 11/26/2005 6:34:20 PM | Message Detail

Ok, I've got the archives up and running. If you have any information on any of the BRs that I have incomplete information on, or you can remember any BRs beyond what muse and myself have come up with so far, please post it so that I can add it to the archives.

gt4ringdiaries.blogspot.com/


From: Soulidarity | Posted: 11/26/2005 6:37:01 PM | Message Detail

Mr. Pinstripes - if you'd like your suspension tuning guide put up there, I'll
be glad to do that as well.


From: Amarynceus | Posted: 11/26/2005 7:00:29 PM | Message Detail

Thanks, Soulidarity. That's exactly what the intro was designed for -- to be copy/pasted whenever a new thread needed to be started.

I'm glad you're archiving some things. Good idea. Many of these BRs have been too good to simply let disappear.

---
From: MrPinstripes | Posted: 11/26/2005 11:33:45 PM | Message Detail

If I'm going to post my tuning guide somewhere (or let someone else do it for me), I'm going to have to edit it a bit. I'd be more than happy to submit it, though.

Also, I have a list of all my BR ideas we've done, so I just have to find it for the specs. The titles were:

The Battle of the [Barge]
Pretty in Pink
One foot [in your mouth], and one on the gas
Phenomenal Cosmic Power!

I'll get to the *****in' Camaro sometime tomorrow, assuming that Forza doesn't suck me back in. I've got Xbox Live hooked up now, and I've been hitting one of the Time Trials pretty hard (I'm currently at 128th worldwide, and that wasn't a clean run).

On a side note, I really wish I could transplant the suspension/tire physics from Forza into GT4. They're really amazing.

Later, everyone.

---
Sam the Eagle: *opens door* You are all weirdos. *closes door*
Pics- photobucket.com/albums/a346/MrPinstripes/


From: Flibutz | Posted: 11/27/2005 8:11:59 AM | Message Detail

Also, there was a MX-5 BR-ish thingy, and Filling the Stable BR.

I've driven the IROC-Z Concept, and even the 190E 2.5 Evo II. It was a lot of fun driving it without the pace car slowing me down!

I'll post the reviews later as the weekend really took a toll on me. I'm not feeling very sharp right now.

What was the Mercedes that was originally going to be the WR? I'm interested in driving that, too. E55 AMG?
---
"All other opinions are idiotic, honestly." -Dethsentence

From: wanderingmuse22 | Posted: 11/27/2005 8:32:37 AM | Message Detail
SL55 AMG

---
For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. Matthew 24:27


From: MrPinstripes | Posted: 11/27/2005 12:25:12 PM | Message Detail

Going through my garage revealed slim Chevy pickin's, and only one Camaro- a '69 SS in Burnished Brown Metallic. I added a FC Transmission to make it competetive, then headed off to win me an IROC-Z.

The races were fairly easy at 37 A-Spec points (which is still more than the 0 I had previously), and the SS was quite fun to drive. It had quite surprising grip for a wallowy muscle car, and I had little trouble with wheelspin.

Once acquired, I was again struck by how ugly '80s cars were. All of them were atrocious. Add into that my general dislike of "BIGSTUPID!" muscle cars, and I was looking forward to a few laps of disgruntled unhappiness.

What I recieved, however, was a surprisingly agile little monster. I kept thinking on turn entry "I'll never be able to hold this line!", but the IROC would hold it, and usually give me a little breathing room on exit. Eventually I did push it too far, but that was a no-lift blitz through Schwedenkreuz.

It did bog down a little going uphill, but with 240 horsepower in a 1,500 kg car, what do you expect? The powerband was nice and wide, and the gearing well adapted to the 'Ring, making shift timing a matter of choice, not necessity.

On the bad side, I wasn't very excited driving it. It sorta reminds me of the Skyline in that regard- impressively fast, but not adrenaline pumping.

I will put one disclaimer on my above statements- I ran the IROC on S2 tires, and I'm used to N2s. It may not be quite as nice as I think it is, or it might be a bit more unruly.

Time (S2s, oil, 78kg ballast @ 0): 8'08.943

I'd be willing to bet that you could pick up some good A-Spec points in one of these.

Later.

---

[vitg]

From: Soulidarity | Posted: 11/27/2005 1:40:01 PM | Message Detail

I think its the only camaro that can net you 200 pts in the camaro one make
races. But its a tough win, even with nitrous.

---

From: Soulidarity | Posted: 11/27/2005 1:55:40 PM | Message Detail

Maybe we can get one of these in the next GT

www.neimanmarcus.com/store/sitelets/christmasbook/fantasy.jhtml?gift=4

---

From: Soulidarity | Posted: 11/27/2005 6:35:14 PM | Message Detail


We've got a WR going on right now. Its the Iroc-Z Camaro that you can win from
the Camaro one make races.

I'll be posting a BR tomorrow.


From: oldguy1957 | Posted: 11/27/2005 7:03:13 PM | Message Detail


IROC-Z

I'd been a-specing with it a couple weeks ago, so the first thing I had to do
was remove all the mods I had put on it, returning it to its original
configuration.

My first impression of it on the Ring is that it felt really HEAVY! After
putting a couple laps on it, my impression of it was that it was STILL really
heavy. I guess it handled okay for a big, overgrown, former muscle-car that had,
over the years, lost a good portion of its hp, and gained a lot of weight, in
the form of creature comforts.

Unlike last week's Super Bird, which is a pure, undisguised muscle-boat, the Z
seems lost somewhere in the limbo world between muscle, luxury, cornering
performance and a misguided attempt at styling...pretty much failing at all of
the above.

It's handling was more neutral than the Bird's ever-present understeer, but also
more unpredictable. I only managed an 8'20 on S2's with it. I felt as though I
was leaving a lot on the table, and with several practice laps could probably
have gotten down within view of Mr. P's blazing time. But on only two laps, I
really was unsure of just how hard I could push it.

The low, even torque-band was interesting, and the additional 5th gear was a
definite improvement over the Bird's 130 mph max speed. Too bad the Z didn't
have enough power to make use of it.

Overall, I'd say the car was a good history lesson. It could be found in the
chapter called, "The Slow Painful Death of the American Muscle-Car". I remember
being so excited whenever I saw an IROC-Z when they first came out. I'm a bit
disappointed by way history will probably remember them. I was too uninspired to
drive it any more, so it's now back in the BACK of my garage.

Did I mention it felt really heavy??
---
A.K.A. Don Papa


From: viperinthegrass | Posted: 11/27/2005 9:54:10 PM | Message Detail


WR™
'88 IROC Camaro – Z Concept
This is unheard of, two good handling American cars in a row!
This one even has a user friendly gearbox, will wonders never cease.
Seriously though, a very nice car to drive and it does sound good.
I was only doing a lap on the different settings during ad breaks for the V8
Supercar Finale late last night my time. I found the Camaro turned in very
nicely and had nice predictable and easily managed oversteer. Although not
having a lot of power it certainly rumbled along very nicely and displayed some
suprisingly impressive exit speeds. I cant say I hammered it, no crashes during
the four laps I did, and no startling lap times but it did everything I wanted
it to do easily.

N3's - 8 . 35 .249
N3's aids off - 8.30 . 301
S2's - 8 . 20. 013
S2's aids off - 8 . 15 . 773

Flugplatz – 108 mph , Schwedenkreuz 120 mph , Bergwerk 68mph , Klosterkal 103
mph , Galgengopf onto DH 109 mph.
These are the corners I use for reference
P.S.
I had already done a couple of laps in the AMG SL 55 Merc before the recall
I fitted my Silvery Blue one with DMO 195 wheels from the second hand shop.

S2's - 7 . 35 . 409
S2's aids off - 7. 30 . 297
N3's aids off - 7 . 45 . 389
Not really enough laps to comment with anything useful, they were all a bit
scrappy as the Merc understeered strongly and did not like turning under brakes
much, but it is certainly pretty quick in between the bends. It is a real
balancing act finding the right place to start and stop braking and begin
turning then applying throttle. I think I would like more practice.


photobucket.com/albums/d195/viperin/
---
“A Man’s got to know his limitations” – Dirty Harry


From: wanderingmuse22 | Posted: 11/27/2005 10:28:01 PM | Message Detail

I'm sorry about the recall. Being a lifelong wrestling fan I take silence as
worse than booing, so when noone said anything I figured plan B was called for.
I found the SL55 to understeer more on N2's; on S2's I had no complaints, though
it did require thoughtful braking.

MrPinstripes, I was thinking about you today- when was the last time you drove
the AC Cars 427 S/C? I dusted mine off this weekend, and it occurred to me that
you might enjoy reprising it yourself, especially coming back from your layoff,
if you've not driven it yet. If nothing else, it should deliver the adrenaline
the WR lacked. If you're a step ahead of me, all the better.

Oldguy, I agree. I think the American Musclecar went the way of American
Corporate Ethics- rationalized into nothing, but somehow still there, and not
necessarily in a good way. While the power is a let down, the sound and the
handling of the IROC won my heart anyway.

You said you'd tuned yours- does it absorb the horsepower well? I was thinking,
since the gearing is wide, the only part I'd add is a supercharger. If the power
didn't induce a push, then the result should be a fine automobile. I may have to
experiment with that myself.




From: Flibutz | Posted: 11/28/2005 2:56:49 AM | Message Detail

WR:
Camaro IROC-Z Concept

A fine, fine choice, muse! Ok, it's a little short on power but it does have
enough to keep things interesting. It corners much better than I expected it to.
I felt right at home and had no trouble whatsoever pointing the nose exactly
where I wanted to. The humble obedience (read: complete lack of understeer that
I was expecting) was very enjoyable.

Considering its P/W ratio, it's damn quick, too. I drove the 190E 2.5 Evo II for
comparison as it has the same amount of power but it's a little lighter. To my
surprise, the Camaro got within a few seconds of the Merc which is a road
version of a DTM car and famous for its handling.

Camaro: 8'06.351
190E: 8'03.951

I've been driving lots of BMW's lately, and for comparison, the 330i which is
more powerful could only hit 8'03.741 making it very comparable with the above
two.

Guess what? I'd prefer the SL 55 AMG over M3 GTR any day! Or maybe it's just
because I got frustrated with the GTR yesterday. In my book the GTR is far
inferior to the CSL due to understeer. The front suspension is way too hard for
my tastes so trailbraking didn't work like it should. And it's a little slower
in my hands.

Oh well, while I'm at it I'll just post my new BMW times:

120i: 8'37.575
120d: 8'28.034
2002 Turbo: 8'31.232
Z4: 8'01.929
330i: 8'03.741
M Coupe: 7'50.962
M3: 7'32.425
M3 CSL: 7'20.992
M3 GTR: 7'23.199
M5: 7'09.112 (!)

On S2s, oil change, no ballast.

---
"All other opinions are idiotic, honestly." -Dethsentence


From: Soulidarity | Posted: 11/28/2005 5:32:29 AM | Message Detail

This weeks Budget Rider:

The Nurburgring Diary Zone

You wake up to find that you've survived a plane crash unscathed, but the crew
and the rest of the passengers are nowhere to be found. In your lap is a stack
of 40,000 dollars/euros/credits. You exit the plane and look around, discovering
that you are in a small German town outside of the famed Nurburgring
Nordschleife. But something is seriously wrong. There are no people. You enter a
cafe to look around, only finding more of the same, when you hear a car pull up
out front. Rushing outside you find a mysterious man getting out of his Toyota
Altezza Touring Car. He explains to you that you've slipped into a dead space in
time during the crash, and offers you a one shot deal to get back to your own
time. He will drive his touring car for one lap around the ring, then you will
drive the production car of your choice with all the modifications you can
afford. If you beat him, he'll allow your return home. He then hands you a
non-descript key, and tells you to decide what car you wish to drive and take a
look around the corner, where you'll find said car in new condition.

So here's the challenge:

Run a lap with the Altezza Touring car. You can do it in B spec if you wish, but
I strongly encourage you take the role of the mystery man and drive it A spec to
challenge yourself. Then take your own production vehicle, use 40,000 to modify
it, and attempt to beat the Altezza's time.

The conditions:

The car you choose is free.

There is a limit on horsepower in this dead space in time, and no car can exist
over 360 HP. This means that you can not use a car that starts with more than
360 HP, nor can you modify a car beyond that point.

Driving aids also do not exist here. I know that most, if not all of us,
regularly turn aids off, but for anyone who does not necessarily do this, you
must do it for this challenge.

Since your car of choice comes in new condition, oil change, car wash, and
rigidity refresher are free. You can also put wheels on your car for free if you
wish.

You weigh something, so you must add driver ballast to your vehicle. If you
don't currently do this, and you're not sure how much you weigh in kg, you can
use the following website for a quick conversion:

www.manuelsweb.com/kg_lbs.htm

If you crash into the armco, you must use your better judgement as to whether or
not it has ended your run. Obviously if you run headfirst into the armco at 130,
you die, and never make it home. If you lightly brush the armco, you can decide
for yourself whether or not the damage is extensive enough to keep you from
continuing. Driving off into the grass is ok, but grass cuts are not. If you cut
across grass with the intention of gaining time, the mystery man will know, and
he'll be long gone when you pull across the finish line, leaving you stranded
here forever.

Have fun!

---

From: Soulidarity | Posted: 11/28/2005 5:36:02 AM | Message Detail

btw, thanks to muse for being a huge assistance in helping me settle on how to
budget this in order to balance between challenging and fair.

---

From: oldguy1957 | Posted: 11/28/2005 7:02:42 AM | Message Detail

Muse -- Yes, I found that the Z handled better with more hp. I didn't drive it
on the Ring modded, so I don't know how it would react there. But for the Camaro
one-make races it didn't seem too bad. I didn't add a supercharger because that
would wipe my a-spec points back down to near-zero. I don't remember exactly
what mods I used. I'll check this evening and post them for you.
---
A.K.A. Don Papa


From: wanderingmuse22 | Posted: 11/28/2005 9:36:29 AM | Message Detail

Soulidarity said:

but I strongly encourage you take the role of the mystery man and drive it A
spec to challenge yourself.

And you know what? He's absolutely right. The Altezza Touring is flat out
through Flugplatz and Schwedenkreutz, delightful all the way around, and I
wonder if it would garner a gaggle of A Spec points at 'Ring races?

---

From: Havok3595 | Posted: 11/28/2005 9:51:21 AM | Message Detail

Cheaty tires of all varieties exist in this dead time, right? And the Altezza
runs on its natural...Racing Mediums, I think?
---
Today's badass du jour: redgirl



From: wanderingmuse22 | Posted: 11/28/2005 10:27:12 AM | Message Detail

The Altezza Touring comes on R1's (racing super hard). R3's (racing mediums)
might be a fun way to "kick things up a notch", I suppose.

Soulidarity, to add to the challenge, would it be ok if the "Mystery Man" had no
weight, and ballast only be added to the challenge car? That may have been
implied, I just wanted to make sure.



From: Soulidarity | Posted: 11/28/2005 2:24:10 PM | Message Detail

that's fine by me

From: Soulidarity | Posted: 11/28/2005 2:25:42 PM | Message Detail

and yes, havok, you can buy whatever tires you want for your challenge car

---
I wonder if in 1991 there were packs of low-brow dorks who hated FFIV because it
wasn't exactly like FFI? ~ Druff


From: viperinthegrass | Posted: 11/28/2005 4:58:19 PM | Message Detail

Soulidarity,
I have been checking out the Blog site for the Diary and found some information
I had saved which may be useful.
I sent you an email with a notepad attachment with the relevant info but I am
not sure if it got through.
Could you send me an email to [e-mail] to confirm if it got through
and if it didnt I will at least have your correct address to try again.

Thanks.
VITG

From: Soulidarity | Posted: 11/28/2005 5:04:39 PM | Message Detail

sounds good. By the way Mr. P, I've been holding off on putting up your missing
BRs until you're able to get the info.

BigMike1975 yahoo

You can email me there if you'd prefer. Make sure you say who you are in the
subject so I don't delete it thinking its spam.

---

From: Spork II | Posted: 11/28/2005 7:16:18 PM | Message Detail

I know one of the older BRs was a 15,000 cr budget with no Nissans allowed.

On a different topic, has anyone ever tried the Audi TT 1.8T Quattro? The game
claims it is AWD, but it has FWD-ish wheelspin and very strange handling on
Nurburgring and Trial Mountain. Adding a VCD set to 10 seems to fix these
problems. Does the real car drive like this as well?
---
………….../|,-‘`¯¯`\(o)_\,----,,,_…………SporkOfProbz
...………( `\(o),,_/` ¯ : o : : `-,


From: wanderingmuse22 | Posted: 11/29/2005 4:43:10 AM | Message Detail

Do you have the driving aids on, by any chance? I noticed one of the license
tests for the 'Ring had an Audi TT 1.8 and it was like driving a brick over
rubber cement (or an FF, whichever). I attributed it to the driving aids being
on, as the TT 3.2 is an excellent handling car.

I see it's a matter that might merit some experimentation.

---
For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will
be the coming of the Son of Man. Matthew 24:27


From: wanderingmuse22 | Posted: 11/29/2005 3:40:39 PM | Message Detail

It may be a day or two before I get to challenge the "Mystery Man" BR, but he
set a 7'19 time for me to beat in the Altezza Touring. He left muttering that it
was almost quick enough to win the 24 hours. Perhaps it is, but my work is cut
out for me.

---
For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will
be the coming of the Son of Man. Matthew 24:27

[vitg]

From: viperinthegrass | Posted: 11/29/2005 4:38:42 PM | Message Detail

BR™
Doo Dee Doo Dee Doo Dee Doo Dee, Greetings from the Diary Zone!
I made a start on the (Twilight) Zone last night. I sent Bob off to do his thing
(at speed 4 ) while I cooked Tea, then checked replay to see he had done a 7 '
44 . 175
I then did a lap myself before going to bed; following Muses advice I took
Flugplatz and Schwedenkreuz flat chat ( and many others thereafter ). I was
having so much fun I forgot about being conservative and ended up peeling off a
7 ' 10 . 913 – Holy Snapping Duck****!!
What a great Car, the fast guys are going to love this one. I reckon pound for
pound this would have to be one of the best handling Cars I have come across so
far, what a Gem.
Having made a rod for my own back I will today attempt to better that time (
pigs fully fueled and ready for takeoff !)
I am then going to do some more laps with the Altezza to see how much time I can
shave off.

More Later


photobucket.com/albums/d195/viperin/
---
“A Man’s got to know his limitations” – Dirty Harry


From: Soulidarity | Posted: 11/29/2005 5:48:44 PM | Message Detail

I've been a bit under the weather since Sunday. I had a difficult time keeping
my concentration on the game as I tried to finish up the last 3 hours of the
Motegi endurance, and really haven't felt up to sitting back down in front of
the game since turning it off later that day. I still plan to get the iroc out
on the ring, and will officially attempt my BR tomorrow or Thursday. The diary
has been pretty quiet this week, and I hope we get more than 2 or 3 people
trying out this BR.

On a side note, I took a couple minutes to set up this map, and anyone who feels
like adding themselves is welcome.

www.frappr.com/ringdiaryregulars

---
I wonder if in 1991 there were packs of low-brow dorks who hated FFIV because it
wasn't exactly like FFI? ~ Druff


From: Imperialdramon9 | Posted: 11/29/2005 7:46:55 PM | Message Detail

I've been trying to find time for the BR, but I will try to complete it. I'm
just trying to figure out which production car to choose, because I don't want
to have too difficult a time against the Altezza.
---
Xbox Gamertag - Xenigma
SLAI Alias- Xenigma Chip Name- Omega Team- Vanguard


From: Soulidarity | Posted: 11/30/2005 4:07:11 PM | Message Detail

Finally got some official seat time in the Iroc. While there have been some
mixed reviews of this car, I like it. It can push a bit at times, and will swing
the end out slightly if you try, but for the most part goes where you tell it
to. My times weren't blistering, but I was happy with my 8'25.xxx

I was about to run my lap in the Altezza, but I'm being called to take care of
something for work. Will try to run it tonight.


From: Soulidarity | Posted: 11/30/2005 7:48:58 PM | Message Detail

My official run in the Altezza clocked me at a 7'17.901. I actually got too
comfortable due to this cars "on rails" handling, went into a few corners too
hot, and hurt my time. But I have to say that this car is absolutely amazing.
You can take Schwedenkreuz and several other corners without even thinking about
your brake pedal, something that very few cars can even approach. The
Pflantzgarten straight almost feels like driving on a true straight.

Essentially, I would liken most cars that we've driven to either a mule or a
rodeo bull. The understeerish cars are the mules, stubborn beasts that tell you
no when you tell them to turn. They'd rather headbutt the armco than make that
left. The oversteerish cars are the rodeo bulls. Wild beasts that will throw
their tails in whichever direction they feel, and if you aren't ready for it,
they'll toss you. The Altezza Touring Car is a well trained stallion. It goes
where you tell it to go with hardly a complaint. And it goes quickly. It does
have a very slight understeerish tendency (remnants of its bucking bronco days
perhaps?), but nothing that can't be reigned in with a little TLC.

My only complaint is how poorly the gearbox is set up. It is FC, though, so
tweaking it to find a more optimal set up would not be a major project. In stock
form, you'll likely never leave fourth gear, even down the D-H, and the
Altezza's overall acceleration and speed suffer due to its poor gearbox
configuration. Other than that, its a sweet ride.

Tomorrow I plan to scour the dealers for a steed capable of taking me through
the Diary Zone.


From: Soulidarity | Posted: 11/30/2005 7:50:00 PM | Message Detail

btw, Wanderingmuse, have you anyone in mind for the next WR?



From: viperinthegrass | Posted: 11/30/2005 10:41:36 PM | Message Detail

Nürburgring Diary Zone BR™

It was a dark and stormy night and our Qantas jet was being tossed around as if
it was some giant baby's rattle. “This can't be good “ I thought as a
particularly savage bolt of lightning tore the left wing off. Suddenly the world
became white and fluffy, as if the plane was suddenly full of cotton wool, “Come
to the light” I heard an ethereal voice say, I know good advice when I hear it,
so I did.
As I waded through the cottony air the scene shifted, I felt as if I had been
turned inside out, and I was no longer struggling inside the plane but walking
through a green and pleasant landscape, full of trees and hills. It seemed
somehow familiar and my amazement was complete when I saw a large sign which
read “ Achtung Ring Besucher”
Somehow I was now standing in the pit lane of the Nurburgring. WTF!
I looked around and I knew instinctively that I was the only person here, was I
dead?
Hallucinating? It was all very strange but I felt no fear.
As I pondered , I became aware of a strange shimmering in the air in front of
me, and with a loud pop, a snazzy little Touring Car appeared.
“Hey Dude, how they hanging” said the driver as he got out. “I'm afraid there
has been a bit of a stuff up at head office, it seems that you have ended up in
the wrong dimension”. “Oh well” I thought, “that's better than karking it”.
“You're telling me” said the mystery man, who I now noticed was wearing a
Rainbow coloured driving suit, which I could not quite focus on.
Handing me a strangely insubstantial key, he said “are you up for a challenge?
if you can beat the 7 ' 10 . 913 I did in the Altezza there, with any car you
choose, I will send you home hale and hearty”. As I stood there trying to take
this all in, a memory popped into my head, unbidden, of my Fathers mid – life
crisis Car.
And suddenly, there it was, in front of us, a '96 Chevrolet Corvette Grand
Sport.
“I will take that as a yes then” said the mystery man.
Of all the Cars I could have thought of, why my Dad's Car? It even had the silly
wing, fat R3 tyres and BBS 14 wheels he'd fitted. All up he had spent 40 k doing
up that car with a Racing Exhaust and Chip, Twin Plate Clutch, Semi Racing
Flywheel, Stage 2 flab reduction and a roll cage. “And yes, before you ask it
puts out 358 hp and has no driver aids”
“Oh well that was something” I thought as I eased my 105 kg bulk into the Red
Leather Recaro Racing seat. With a rolling start and the mystery man clicking
his stop watch at the line, I roared off. Hmm, the old girl dont handle too bad
once you get used to the brakes wanting to make it swap ends, nice and stable on
the road and it turns in nicely with some feathered braking. The R3's certainly
help it stick and the weight still on it helps the stock suspension smooth out
the worst bumps somewhat. Hey that was fun I thought as I crossed the finish
line unscathed.
The mystery man checked his watch and smiled, “ 7 ' 10 . 577 dude, nice work,
Okay, a deal is a deal, you beat me fair and square, I can send you home now”.
I stood there at the finish line, the car steaming slightly in the strange,
perpetual afternoon light, turning that magical key over in my fingers, “if its
all the same to you, I would rather stay here” I said as a beautiful Red E –
Type Jaguar appeared in place of the Chev.
The mystery man laughed, and then with a faint pop, was gone.

First Lap attempt at challenge - 7 ' 20 . 165
Second Lap - 7 ' 11 . 869
Third Lap of three tries - 7' . 10 .577
No crashes or shortcuts. TRY THIS CAR


From: wanderingmuse22 | Posted: 12/1/2005 4:40:19 AM | Message Detail

I forgot to nominate the WR pick! I completely forgot! I'd like it to go to
MrPinstripes to commemerate his return from exile.

I offer my apologies for the short notice, but absent mindedness is my gift. I
once shifted my car keys from one hand to another so as to free that hand to
look in my pocket for my car keys. It's a wonder I ever get anywhere some days.

Peace.

---

From: sackedagain | Posted: 12/1/2005 8:56:26 AM | Message Detail

Nurburgring Diary Holiday Car Exchange

Our first holiday season approaches. To celebrate, I think we need to exchange
gift cars.

I propose that we each buy a car, tune it and make it pretty. (I would prefer
gold rims instead of a bow). Then post a note that you have finished the car and
want to take part in the car exchange.

Think of that post as a wrapped package with a nice surprise inside. Put your
package under the tree before Friday, December 16.

Before Christmas, I will do a drawing to determine who will get each package.
After that, you will post the car, mods and any tuning. The lucky person who
gets your car will build it, drive it and then report back on what a wonderful
gift they got. (Or, if your name be Scrooge, not).

Since, the "giving" part of this gift is your effort to build and mod the car,
don't spend anymore than 60,000 on the car (give or take a few thousand). You
can spend the same amount again on modifications. Don't worry about exact
amounts; its the gift that matters.

Happy holidays.


From: oldguy1957 | Posted: 12/1/2005 2:25:50 PM | Message Detail

RR™

I'd like to bend the rules a bit (actually, quite a bit) and propose the

Suzuki GSX-R/4 '01

as the Racecar Rider for this week. It's not really a race car, but as ciscrack
and amar and dubitup and anyone else who's been farming a-spec points knows,
with the proper mods, it kicks ass on JGTC's and many other race cars. Also,
it's a concept car, so it really doesn't fit the rules and regs for a WR™
either. So, since there hasn't been a RR for a few weeks, I thought I'd throw
this one out there.

It can't be bought, but can easily be won from the Suzuki Concept one-make
races. I have five of them in assorted colors.

As others who have driven it can attest to, it is one of the funnest cars in the
game to drive. Completely stock, on S2's, it will take Schwedenkruez in the
135-140 mph range, and Mutkurve at around 120. Probably faster in the hands of
some of you guys.

I'd suggest the following:

1) Take it for a lap or two completely stock, just to see how it feels.

2) Then give it max hp and drivetrain mods and full weight reduction. I also put
a wing and R3's on one of mine for doing battle against the JGTC's.

I'm sure some of you will want to give it the N tire test too. I prefer to throw
full ballast into the middle with the R3's to give it somewhat the same feel (I
know...full weight reduction and then adding ballast is kinda strange...I just
like the option of running at minimum weight if I want to). The extra weight
seems to make it handle all that much better, although I'm sure the lap times
suffer a bit from it.

Anyway, I hope most of you will forgive the rule-bending and give this a try.
Those of you who haven't yet experienced the joys of driving this little gem are
in for a real treat. To me, with the mods, it IS a full-blooded race car.

And if anyone even THINKS about using Driving Aids with this car, they should be
banned from playing GT4 for at least month!! Even the most noobish of drivers
won't need them.
---
A.K.A. Don Papa


From: wanderingmuse22 | Posted: 12/1/2005 4:56:47 PM | Message Detail


Sackedagain, I love your Christmas idea. You might consider emailing
Soulidarity, he's set up a blog for the 'Ring diary, and you no doubt have some
valuable material for such an archive.

MrPinstripes, I forgot you had a WR pick before your exile, so if you want to
pass it to a newcomer that's cool. If you have a car ready, that's even better.
I feel pretty irresponsible for the way I've (not) handled passing it on
properly. Sorry about that.

I have a tuning question: When trying to induce oversteer into an understeering
pig, is it wise to use both the LSD and the Suspension? I feel like the affects
occur at different locations during cornering for each. Does anyone have any
tips for trying to harmonize the two (oversteer effects, as induced by an FC
tranny and LSD)?

I've been trying to make a Mercedes (CLK55 AMG) handle pleasantly (at speed) on
N2's. Not an easy task, but so far a fun one. I picked the CLK55 because of it's
(relatively) low weight and modest power. The idea is to find a formula or base
tuning logic that could then be applied to the more powerful Benzes.

I've found that I can tune an almost decent feel with the suspension, and an
almost decent feel with the LSD, but the two together is squirrelly, and yet
pushes in places in spite of that. Don't ask me why I'm so set on getting the
Benzes going, but it's become my GT4 goal.

I've heard a lot of good things about the Suzuki, Oldguy. I figured it was only
a matter of time before it popped up here. What did you think of the Altezza
Touring?


From: MrPinstripes | Posted: 12/1/2005 6:21:06 PM | Message Detail

I haven't had much time for GT this week (work, Forza, and now Vagrant Story are
sorta eating up my time), but I plan on getting to the NDZ BR sometime this
weekend. I'll have to browse back a few pages to find out what the rules are
exactly, but it sounds like fun.

Soul- I'll get around to emailing you my BR rules eventually, but I'm a
notorious procrastinator and forgetful on top of that. I'll try to remember this
weekend.

Muse- I picked my WR-in-exile (the TVR Griffith 500), but I have another one up
my sleeve. Since it's getting late in the week, I'll take the pick (to avoid any
"who's picking the WR?" hijinks), then pass on to anyone who wants it the week
after.

And don't worry about the absent-mindedness. I'm the same way.

Sacked- The Holiday Car Exchange is a great idea! I'll get on it as soon as I
can (to avoid the last-minute rush).

Later, all.


From: The White Ghost | Posted: 12/1/2005 8:50:14 PM | Message Detail

Has anyone noticed that most of the turns have signs that say their names? I was
zoomin around in my M5 and got distracted by someone let go of the controller
and when I came back I was parked in front of a sign that said aremberg or
something similar to that anyone else noticed these green signs with yellow
lettering?
---


From: oldguy1957 | Posted: 12/1/2005 9:10:17 PM | Message Detail


The Nurb Zone

The Altezza is a very nice handling car. Mr. Weightless Mystery Man turned a
first, cautious lap of 7'17.233. I thought the ride deserved a second lap,
pushing it a bit harder. I was about six seconds ahead of the ghost car on the
second lap when I dropped a tire off into the grass on the exit of the
mini-karussell and spun. I found that the Altezza doesn't like curbs or grass at
all, and quickly loses adhesion to the road if you come in contact with either.

I decided to stick with the 7'17 instead of going for another lap. I think times
close to the 7-minute mark would be possible if one were to take the time to get
used to the car.

I took a walk through my garage and found that the Nissan Gran Tourismo 350 Z
had the hp I was looking for, listed at exactly 300. I went to the mods screen,
and it said that a Stage 2 NA tuneup would put me exactly at the maximum 360 hp.
So, I went with that, some R3 tires, a racing flywheel to get it to shift a
little quicker, and a wing, bringing my total expenditure to 38,450 cr.

To my surprise, when I got to the track, the game showed 376 hp. I immediately
took it to be a mistake, though, because cars with over 360 hp don't exist in
"The Nurb Zone", and my Z obviously DID exist, because it was sitting there
right in front of me!

I believe that when the GT Z was the WR™, I described it as being "boring".
Well, the extra hp, wing and R3 tires made it much less so. It was a very fast
and fun ride. I easily turned a lap at 7'05.272, without ever once venturing off
the track.

I guess I cheated by exceeding the 360 hp limit. But it was completely
unintentional. And, realistically, if I had been able to "tune out" that last 16
hp, I'm pretty sure I could have beat the Mystery Man's time, anyway.

BTW, I at first misread the rules and didn't realize the car we chose had to be
a production car. The Peugeot 205 Turbo 16 Rally Car has 350 hp, so I used that
with just the addition of R4's. That car has a VERY loose back end!! I killed
myself at Flugplatz, and then just got up to full speed in time to kill myself
again at Schwedenkruez.

I was going to invoke the T2 exemption (ah...I'm sure it's in the fine print
somewhere), that states clearly that if you kill yourself twice before T2 you
get reincarnated as yourself and get to retune your car and try again. I removed
all the downforce from the front of the car, which made it driveable if you're
very careful. With two non-lethal grass/armco excursions, I pulled in with a
7'11, which also would have beat Mystery Man's time.

So, I actually won twice by cheating!!
---
A.K.A. Don Papa

[vitg]

From: viperinthegrass | Posted: 12/1/2005 9:59:14 PM | Message Detail


I have been spending a couple of days at home recuperating from some minor
surgery, this has given me the time to go “Farming for Gold” and to complete
some driving missions.
Here are my results specific to the “Ring for those interested :

Gold Licence A7 : '17 . 104
Gold Licence A14 : '32 . 302
Gold Licence A16 : '53 . 616
Gold Licence IA 13 : '25 . 536
Gold Licence IA 15 : 8 ' 56 . 181
Gold Super Licence 16 : 7 ' 06 . 863

I also completed DM 34 on my 4th. Attempt :
1st. Try – Finished 1.1 seconds behind 300SL
2nd. Try – Finished .635 secs. behind 300SL
3rd. Try - Crashed into back of Kompressor , finished 1.56 secs. behind 300SL
4th. Try - Finished first .515 secs. ahead of 300SL - Lap time 9 ' 16 . 113

I was so pleased, I took a bunch of photos and added them to my Photobucket
account if anyone wants to confirm I actually did it.
All that practice I have put into the 'Ring has certainly paid off!!
I will have a nice cup of tea now and then check for some more Gold in them thar
Hills.

photobucket.com/albums/d195/viperin/
---
“A Man’s got to know his limitations” – Dirty Harry

From: oldguy1957 | Posted: 12/1/2005 10:25:42 PM | Message Detail


Is that a PAL version, Viper? If it is, you have to beat M34 by 11 seconds to
match the NTSC version.
---
A.K.A. Don Papa


From: viperinthegrass | Posted: 12/2/2005 12:22:17 AM | Message Detail

Suitably refreshed I return to the fray.

Sacked – Nice idea for Christmas, I have started working on a couple of options,
should have it ready by end of the weekend.

White Ghost – Yes, many of the corners are signposted, I would suggest driving a
slower car around using photo mode, then during the replay keep an eye out for
signs coming up and use the camera to get a good look at them. It's a good way
to get your bearings and to help you recognise the various corners we talk about
here.
Also refer to page one of the diary and check out the map links, it helps a lot.

Soulidarity – The blog site looks good, can we post photos on it as well, a
favourites or rogues gallery sort of thing?


Oldguy - Have not driven the GSX - R4 yet but have heard a lot about it, looking
forward to it.
I dont know what the difference would be but my game has PAL on the cover and
our TV's run under the PAL system.

Beat the 300 SL by 11 secs !! I believe that would be impossible the way the
mission is structured in PAL, but I could be wrong. I am just glad to have done
it!!


photobucket.com/albums/d195/viperin/
---
“A Man’s got to know his limitations” – Dirty Harry


From: oldguy1957 | Posted: 12/2/2005 7:26:41 AM | Message Detail

Viper, others can verify or correct me, but I think that in the North American
version, you are held for an additional 8 seconds at the starting line (leave at
the 123 second mark) and the SL 300 finishes 3 seconds quicker (don't remember
the exact time) than in the PAL version, making a total of 11 seconds.

I agree that it seems strange that there should be such a difference between the
two versions, but it is well documented and has been discussed many times in
other threads on this site.

The additional 11 seconds is why it took me over two weeks, instead of 4
attempts to beat DM 34. I had at least a dozen attempts where I finished less
than a second behind the SL 300.

Don't get me wrong. I'm not "putting you down" or anything. It's still a great
accomplishment. But I don't consider the PAL M34 to be any harder than getting
gold on license S-16. Maybe a little easier, even. I just didn't want you to
think that we Americans are all bad drivers because some of us had such a tough
time completing it.
---
A.K.A. Don Papa



From: sackedagain | Posted: 12/2/2005 8:01:56 AM | Message Detail


Glad to see the holiday car exchange will work. I started three cars last
night--a Miata, an Acura and a ________. The latter clearly holds the most
promise, though the Miata was looking sexy in black and red. In any event, I
should have it under the tree over the weekend. I didn't spend anywhere near the
limits. I've always been sort of cheap at christmas...

On the RR™, I have been running through the manufacturer's races lately and just
reached Suzuki...must be a sign of a good lap time to come. Or, more likely,
just a good time to come.


From: Flibutz | Posted: 12/2/2005 9:45:24 AM | Message Detail
Hi.

No GT time yet this week... There was a little snowstorm here and we didn't have
any electricity for a couple days. The BR sounds interesting and I'll go for it.
Sacked's Holiday Car Exchange sounds good, too. And the RR. Lots of stuff to do.

We compared M34 specifics with Don Papa in the last volume and I think he
remembers it correctly, though the 3 sec _might_ be 4 or something.

Now that my PS2 has power again, I'll go fire up GT and get back to you later.
---
"All other opinions are idiotic, honestly." -Dethsentence



From: ciscrack | Posted: 12/2/2005 9:58:21 AM | Message Detail

Sorry I haven't come back here since the new volume started up, but after
thanksgiving I sat my fat ass down in the GSX and kinda got stuck, so I haven't
been able to participate in the WR, or BR, but now that I know I can drive over
to the 'ring for a few laps in this thing, I can come back at least for a short
while. I need to go take a nap in my heated garage so I can be fresh for my
'ringing. Then it's on to more enduroes so I can starve myself and finally get
out of this thing. I can't feel my legs.

---

From: sidewinderl | Posted: 12/2/2005 12:50:56 PM | Message Detail

Oh, I like the Holiday Car Exchange idea...Just tell me where to send the
package and some poor sap...er, i mean some lucky winner will get one of my Race
Club cars.


From: Soulidarity | Posted: 12/2/2005 1:05:49 PM | Message Detail

I'm assuming there are no restrictions on parts in the gift exchange?


From: oldguy1957 | Posted: 12/3/2005 7:46:36 AM | Message Detail

WR™

1973 Alpine A110 1600S

I spun twice almost immediately, and came to some quick conclusions. You have
DRIVE this car. You can't just point it in the right direction.

With some cars that are prone to oversteer, you can just aim in the general
direction you want to go, and eventually the tail will stop swinging. Not so
with the Alpine. You'd better catch that first swing, because if the don't, each
subsequent swing is likely to be larger than the previous one, until you find
yourself pointed in the opposite direction.

Once one figures out that fine point, it is a VERY fun ride! Just keep up with
the steering input and it will take some tough turns very fast. Because of the
141 hp, flat-out through Mutkurve is a must if you want to pull a decent time.
It combines low-hp "momentum driving" with a bit of white-knuckle concentration,
which produces an on-the-edge feeling, without really being scary. I ran three
laps, the last one being a 8'31.9.

Muse's ponderance (is that a word?) of how it would stack up against a similar
lotus made me wonder the same thing. So, I dusted off my Lotus Europa, added
sport exhaust and a racing chip, which brought it to almost the same hp as the
Alpine. Once again I was disappointed to see that, once at the track, the hp had
somehow increased to 146...5 more than the Alpine.

I went for it anyway, not wanting to go back and play with the mods any more
than I had.

The Europa, as a RR, has about the same feel as the Alpine, only magnified
slightly. It requires more steering input to keep it pointed in the right
direction. It also had a faster "feel" to it, I think largely because the engine
runs at higher RPM's (or at least sounds like it does). The Alpine takes
Schwedenkruez flat-out if you're quick enough to get on the brakes in time for
the next right. In half a dozen attempts, I was unable to do the same with the
Europa. I could keep it under control until I had to lift the throttle for the
aforementioned right-hander, and then I was unable to react quickly enough to
keep it out of the grass, and subsequently, the Armco.

Generally, the Lotus was faster on the straights (probably mostly due to the 5
additional hp), and the Alpine was faster through the corners. My best lap with
the Europa was an 8'26.9. I attribute the difference (5 seconds quicker), again,
to the extra hp. I think with equal hp, the two cars would have nearly identical
lap times, with the same driver (assuming he's competent enough to keep them
both on the track).

My conclusion: While both cars are about equal in overall speed, the Alpine is
much less likely to cause an in-car heart attack, and much more fun to drive.
---
A.K.A. Don Papa


From: sackedagain | Posted: 12/3/2005 8:08:03 AM | Message Detail


Looks like I'm putting the first package under the tree. Big package, but oddly
light. Red with a black bow.

To answer a few questions regarding the Holiday Exchange. No restrictions at
all. Just set the package in the thread. I'll keep track of who is in. Near the
holiday, I'll draw to see who gets what...at that point, you will post the data
for your car. We will all go ooh aah over each car, then build the one we have
recieved and ignore the visiting in-laws for a good long test drive.


From: The White Ghost | Posted: 12/3/2005 9:48:55 AM | Message Detail
oh and yes the GSX-R is a wonderfully fun car to gun around any course
especially a small confined course with tight turns and with that busa motor
blaring in your ears it only makes it all the better

From: MrPinstripes | Posted: 12/3/2005 10:28:35 AM | Message Detail

There is a second package under the tree now. It's a tiny one, wrapped in dark
green paper with gold ribbon. The tag says, "From Mr Pinstripes. Handle with
care."

---

From: wanderingmuse22 | Posted: 12/3/2005 11:15:49 AM | Message Detail

*mutters with bitter jealousy about responsible early Christmas shoppers*



From: Imperialdramon9 | Posted: 12/3/2005 12:07:26 PM | Message Detail

Alright, time for the WR. First off, I want to say that I won this car in
A-Spec. That 310 was really hard to drive straight, though it was certainly
possible to win after I upgraded it a lot. I ought to try that again with the
310 stock, just to see how difficult it really can be to drive. Not to mention
some of the competition would be more powerful than me.

My first thoughts were that it still fairly difficult to drive the 110. It
wasn't as hard as the 310, but it sure liked the swing. Oldguy described it well
enough that I don't think I have to. This required some focus to keep under
control. One of the things I noticed was that the overall grip of the vehicle
didn't seem to change between the pavement and the grass. It barely slowed down
acceleration and it still handled about the same. Has anyone else noticed this,
or am I just getting used to being thrown off the track in this car?

Anyways, the car felt rather slow, which put me off slightly. Yes, it was a
rather fun drive, but at times it just felt a little too slow for my tastes.
Maybe if it weren't for that it could be usable in some series other then the
Alpine Championship.

Final Lap Time: 9'20'353
---

From: Imperialdramon9 | Posted: 12/3/2005 12:28:44 PM | Message Detail

Third present is now under the tree. It has green wrapping paper with a silver
bow and silver ribbons. It is relatively small, and also quite light. The tag
says "Enjoy the ride! ,Imperial"

[vitg]

From: Soulidarity | Posted: 12/3/2005 1:17:27 PM | Message Detail

This highway leads to the shadowy tip of reality: you're on a through route to
the land of the different, the bizarre, the unexplainable...Go as far as you
like on this road. Its limits are only those of mind itself. Ladies and
Gentlemen, you're entering the wondrous dimension of imagination. Next
stop....The Nurburgring Diary Zone

Soul looked out the window watching the baggage carts as they drove here and
there, unloaded luggage, and went back to load up the next flights cargo. The
flight attendant was droning on about seatbelts, oxygen masks, and floatation
devices, but Soul wasn't listening. Planes rarely crashed, so what were the
chances that his would be the one.

"Hey mister, aren't you that race car driver?" blurted out the little boy in the
seat next to him.

"Yes, yes that's me," Soul turned and smiled at the boy.

"Can I have your autograph, mister?"

"Sure thing, kiddo."

The boy removed his ball cap, and handed it to Soul, pointing at the inside of
the bill. Soul pulled down his carry-on, and fished around for a marker, which
he had learned to carry around years ago, since there always seemed to be
someone wanting him to sign something. Signing his name and the number 34, which
appeared on his cars, he put the cap back on the boys head for him with a smile.

"Thanks a bunch, mister," the boy beamed up at Soul.

The plane suddenly lurched into motion, and made its way to the end of the
runway, slowly turned around, then began its quick acceleration. As it made its
ascent, Soul pulled out his pillow, and drifted off to sleep...

********

Soul's eyes shot open from a sudden jolt. He looked around to find most everyone
asleep. The little boy next to him seemed to be happily dreaming about
something, his baseball cap still firmly on his head. Only a few now wild eyed
passengers were awake.

Probably just turbulence, Soul reassured himself. He looked out the window to
try to figure out where they were, but it was starting to get dark and they were
above a layer of clouds. He would imagine that they had to be above Europe by
now, judging by the time of day, but any more than that was purely guesswork.
The plane seemed to be flying ok, so he grabbed his pillow, and started to drift
back to sleep.

Another huge jolt brought him quickly back to reality. This one seemed much
bigger than the last, and the plane was now shaking. Everyone was now wide
awake, many in a state of panic. Looking out the window, he noticed a giant tear
in the wing. Had they hit something way up here?

"I want my mommy!" screamed the little boy.

Soul tried to comfort him, draping his arm around the boy's shoulders, pulling
him close.

"It'll be ok. ssssssshhhh..."

A third jolt, and the plane suddenly went wildly out of control, pitching
violently forward into rapid descent. As the plane lurched and swayed, everyone
struggled to get their seatbelts latched into place and put their oxygen masks
on. Soul helped the boy with his seatbelt and mask, then pulled himself out of
his seat, fighting his way towards the cockpit. A flight attendant tried to get
him to return to his seat, but he pushed past her. As he reached the cockpit, he
found the heavy steel door locked tight. He didn't dare pull the pilots away
from their battle, so he turned and headed back towards his seat. The flight
attendant yelled something about his seat, but he could hardly hear her over the
noise of the plane. He held on to the seats for dear life as he pulled himself
back towards his seat. He looked out the window as he pulled on his seatbelt,
and saw the ground quickly approaching. The click of his seatbelt was followed
almost instantaneously by a deafening boom.

*****


From: Soulidarity | Posted: 12/3/2005 1:18:23 PM | Message Detail

Soul eyes slowly opened. There was a moment of confusion as he temporarily
forgot where he was, then it all came rushing back to him. He shot up in his
seat, looking quickly around to survey the casualties, and was made instantly
aware of a pounding headache. He also found the plane to be completely empty.
Why would they have cleared the plane, but left him here? It didn't make sense.
As he looked down to unbuckle his seatbelt, he noticed a large stack of money
sitting in his lap. What the hell? Was this supposed to be some kind of
compensation for leaving him on the plane? Soul was getting more confused by the
minute. He pocketed the cash, and made his way to the exit, checking each and
every seat along the way. It was indeed empty.

The exit door itself was still tightly shut. With a little effort, he managed to
pop it open, revealing how high he still was above the ground. Soul was sure
that there had to be some kind of emergency ramp or something to use in this
kind of situation, but he had no idea where it was or how to set it up, so he
was going to have to jump. Luckily the grassy field they had "landed" in was
soft.

There was an eerie fog that had settled in for the night, but Soul could see
lights from a few buildings a short distance away, and quickly headed off in
that direction. As he approached the buildings and a small road, he could see
that he was on the edge of a small town. There was a small cafe with its lights
on just down the road, and Soul made a beeline for it. The creaky doors were in
stark contrast to the dead silence of this town. Soul poked his head inside,
looking around, and found the place to be apparently empty.

"Hello?" Soul called out, as he stepped inside. He slowly made his way towards
the counter, looking around to make sure that there wasn't someone that he had
failed to notice.

"Hello?" he called out again. "Is anyone here?"

Soul leaned over the counter trying to see back into the kitchen.

"Hello?"

Soul heard a distant noise coming from outside. It only took a split second for
him to recognize it as the hum of a car's engine. The car was moving fast, as he
could hear it quickly approaching. He made his way quickly towards the front,
and as he neared the door, he saw a race car come squealing to a stop in front
of the cafe. Soul stepped outside to see the driver getting out of the car.

He was dressed from head to toe in black. Black boots, black pants, black shirt,
a long black leather trenchcoat, and a black trilby.

"Quite a pickle you've gotten yourself into, hmm?" The man in black mocked.

"What's going on? Where is everyone?" Soul confusedly responded.

The man in black chuckled. "You were involved in a plane crash. A crash in which
you were the sole survivor. But for some reason, and I'm not entirely sure how,
you managed to slip between moments in time. However, I believe it to be the
only reason you survived that crash."

"What? How is that possible? And just who are you, anyways?" Soul demanded.

"To be honest, I'm not entirely sure how it is possible that you've managed to
get yourself stuck here. Who, or rather what, I am is not important. What is
important is that I would like to give you a chance to return to the normal flow
of time."

"A chance?"

"Yes, I have the power to do so, but I would rather see you earn your ticket
home. I propose a challenge."

"What does this challenge consist of?" Soul was beginning to get irritated with
this mystery man's games.


From: Soulidarity | Posted: 12/3/2005 1:18:54 PM | Message Detail

"Quite simply, you'll be competing to beat my time around the famed Nurburgring
Nordschleife. I've already taken my Altezza Touring Car for a lap, and managed a
7'17.901. You can use the production car of your choice, use the money I left
you to modify it to the best of your ability, and attempt to beat my time.
There's a auto mod shop just across the street."

The man in black extended his right arm to hand a non-descript key to Soul. Soul
cautiously reached out and took it.

"A few words of warning." The mystery man continued. "The nature of this "place"
in time makes it impossible for high powered vehicles to run. Nothing over 360
hp will accomplish your goal for you, so choose your vehicle wisely. Also, if
you cheat, I'll know, so I suggest that you don't cheat. I look forward to your
attempt to defeat me, Soul." And with that, he climbed back into his car, and
sped off into the night, leaving Soul alone once again.

[NARRATOR] A race car driver, known only as Soul, survives a plane crash, only
to find himself trapped between moments. A shadowy figure has emerged to issue a
challenge. A challenge that would appear to be right up Soul's alley. A
challenge that can only take place in the Nurburgring Diary Zone.

Soul thought for a few minutes before deciding on the Mitsubishi Lancer
Evolution VIII RS '03. It was a fast, nimble, lightweight vehicle, and seemed to
be an obvious choice to take on this challenge. No pure production car had
managed ever managed a time that Soul was being forced to beat, but he was
allowed modifications that might just put him over the top. He walked around the
corner to find his vehicle of choice waiting for him. He brushed his hands along
the edge of the hood as he circled to the driver's door. Climbing in, he put his
hands on the steering wheel, taking a few deep breaths, then inserted the key,
and turned it.

The engine and its 330+ horses roared to life. Soul smiled, released the parking
brake, and drove it back around the corner to the mod shop, pulling into the
garage. Climbing out and entering the office, he found, to his surprise, the
mysterious man behind the counter.

"Ah, good evening, Soul," he said with a knowing smile. "And what can I help you
with tonight?"

From: Soulidarity | Posted: 12/3/2005 1:20:06 PM | Message Detail


Somewhat irritated to see the man in black again so soon, he quickly rattled off
the parts that he wanted on his Evo: A Racing Intercooler, Stage 1 Weight
Reduction, R3 tires, a wing, an FC Transmission, and a Racing Flywheel. In the
end it managed to wiegh just over 1200 kg and stayed just under the hp cap at
357, and he even had a few hundred left from his stack of cash. Soul got
directions to the track and wasted no time making the trip.

Soul had always dreamed of driving the 'ring, but this was not exactly what he
had imagined. Despite all his time behind the wheel, he had always competed for
money, for glory. This time he was competing for his right to exist. His nerves
of steel had become nothing more than Jell-O. But he had no choice as he dropped
the hammer. He knew he had no room for error if he was going to top this time,
but he was in a car he wasn't terribly familiar with outside of its reputation.
Soul was a trailbraker by heart, and he quickly found that the Evo was not so
friendly towards those that attempted to trailbrake it it. But he managed to
maintain control through Flugplatz, Schwedenkreuz, and Adenaur Forst. However
late braking going into the hard left following Metzgesfeld caught Soul off
guard, and he lost control spinning out, then counterspinning. Luckily for him
when he finally hit the wall he was only moving at about 1 mph in a sideways
slide. A little love tap, so to speak, and he quickly returned to the road. But
Soul was now driving desperately. He had been slightly behind the pace that he
needed to match the Altezza. Because of this, he came into Wehrseifen too hot,
was forced to trail brake, and slammed the back of his car into the wall. Soul
was bruised, but the car was done for. He sat there for a moment, soaking it all
in. He was stuck here, in this dead world for the rest of his existence.

[NARRATOR]A race car driver, caught between moments in time, takes a challenge
hoping to win his ticket home. What he won instead was a permanent home in the
Nurburgring Diary Zone.

*****

So I drove a few more laps just to see if it was possible for the Evo to beat
the Altezza's car. I didn't manage it, but with some tranny and downforce tuning
and some clean laps, I'm pretty sure it could have been done.

---
I wonder if in 1991 there were packs of low-brow dorks who hated FFIV because it
wasn't exactly like FFI? ~ Druff


From: sidewinderl | Posted: 12/3/2005 4:06:34 PM | Message Detail

My gift is under the tree. It's the one shaped like a car...maybe I should've
put it in a box...


From: Imperialdramon9 | Posted: 12/3/2005 4:10:05 PM | Message Detail


Don't worry about it, finding car-sized boxes can be quite difficult. I'm pretty
sure I ordered mine off the internet from "Giants 'R Us".
---
Xbox Gamertag - Xenigma
SLAI Alias- Xenigma Chip Name- Omega Team- Vanguard


From: jwrebholz | Posted: 12/3/2005 4:24:44 PM | Message Detail

I've put my present under the tree. It's wrapped in red and white paper with
little pictures of cartoon Santas making various obscene gestures. So no, the
car inside has no resemblance to the package outside.
---
I refuse to answer that question on the grounds that you're a moron.


From: Amarynceus | Posted: 12/3/2005 4:49:30 PM | Message Detail


WR™: Alpine A110 1600S '73

Damn. I had a long post written up and I accidently deleted the whole thing by
somehow pressing ctrl and some random key.

Anyway, this is a great car, a joy to throw sideways and the most responsive to
countersteer that I've encountered yet, although I don't have a lot to compare
it too as I try not to get sideways much. The Alpine is definitely an exception
to that as I spent several laps gleefully tossing it through corners.

Didn't manage a perfectly clean lap, but I did turn an 8'23.230", which I think
I could pare down to an 8'20 flat with some more practice. Instead I think later
I'll catch up on the WR™ and BR™ from the past week or so.

Oh, and I managed to get 193 pts/race when I won it. 200 was a bit beyond me
though.

---
For sweetest things turn sourest by their deeds:
Lilies that fester smell far worse than weeds.


From: Soulidarity | Posted: 12/3/2005 4:58:32 PM | Message Detail


Alpine A110

Fun car. I started off with my normal preparations: N3 tires, oil change, car
wash, driver ballast, driving aids off. Of course, due to my loathing of
pre-1990 euro styling, I had to fit it with some nice gaudy wheels to complete
the package (read: Rays 005). The car loves sideways, and you have to firmly
tell it no, or it will get all wacky on your ass. My first lap had me spinning
out twice, once on the esses near the start line, and again coming out of
Schwedenkreuz. I cleaned it up somewhat from that point, but slammed the wall at
Bergwerk and dropped a foot into the sand at Plantzgarten. A few laps later had
me run as close to a clean lap as I'll probably ever manage in this beast
without returning to S grade tires, a 9'16.255. I will say that I love the fact
that this car won't bite you for letting its feet touch the grass.

Suzuki GSX

I'm not going to list my lap times, as all my laps were sloppy and unimpressive
to say the least. This is mostly due to the fact that driving this car raised a
few questions about the game, which I found myself thinking about far more than
the lap at hand. Its a fun car, and I've used it a bit in the JGTC event in the
professional hall, but I'll leave the reviews to those more able to concentrate
on the task at hand.

1. The A spec system is flawed. Obviously, we all know of the flaw having to do
with averaging the field of cars, but that's not what I'm referring to here. If
you follow the 200 pt. journal, you'll know that the GSX can put JGTC cars in
their place, and its not too terribly difficult to do it. The point was raised
as to whether or not the GSX suffers from Dodge Ram Syndrome, but I think its
been pretty well established that this is not the case. I think the GSX is so
well designed that its power to weight ratio can compete with far more powerful
cars, and at the same time gain additional grip and longetivity from the same
level of tires as other cars due to its extremely low weight, and the A spec
system doesn't consider this.

2. The brake indicator light may be based on a similar formula to the A spec
system. What brought this to my attention is the fact that it is almost always
wrong with the GSX, you can take pretty much every corner of every track quite a
bit faster than the indicator would have you believe. With many cars its right a
lot of the time, and sometimes wrong. With the GSX its rarely right. This leads
me to believe that it works on a similar formula to the A spec system, taking
into account your vehicles weight, tires, and possibly downforce. But again, it
fails to account for the additional grip the GSX seems to gain due to its
extremely low weight.

3. The "there can be only two cars on a track at a time if a car has its top
down" theory needs to be reworked or may even be completely wrong. The GSX
always "has its top down", and can still compete in six car races. I've read
several times people claiming that they believed it to be due to additional
graphical stresses of processing the driver animations. The fact that this is
always the case in the GSX pretty much throws that part of the theory, at the
very least, out the window.

---
I wonder if in 1991 there were packs of low-brow dorks who hated FFIV because it
wasn't exactly like FFI? ~ Druff


From: e2car | Posted: 12/3/2005 5:07:35 PM | Message Detail

Heyo, newcomer CCYoshi here. (no, not e2car. CCYoshi ). I figure I might as
well de-lurkify and start posting. Some of these BRs are pretty cool ideas. But,
anyway, to the main event...now entering... The Nurb Zone

I awoke to green forest, gray road, and the smell of exhaust. But...where was I,
and what was I doing here?

Welcome to Nippon Airlines, this is your captain Bob speaking. In about 5 hours
we'll be landing at Tokyo Airport, so please relax and enjoy your flight...

...I was flying to Japan for the 2rd race in the Tuning Car Grand Prix...and
then...

This is your captain speaking. We appear to be experiencing some slight
turbulence right now, so please buckle your seatbelts.

...something went wrong...I think?

This is your captain speaking. We appear to be missing a left wing, having flown
through a lightning storm. Please hold on tight...

...and then...a white flash...and now I'm here. Somewhere in Germany. What are
the odds I'd survive a plane crash and land in the middle of nowhere and...have
the most famous race track in the world across the street!? ...but, there was
still one question I haven't answered. Where is everyone?

*stomach grumbles* Well, even when I'm busy not being dead, I guess I can still
be hungry. Might as well go to a cafe and order up...

Except there's no one there. Where did everyone go? It's so lonely out here,
with no one to help me find my way out.

"Excuse me sir," somebody says behind me, "are you all right?" I nearly jump out
of my skin. He pauses, and continues. "I guess you are. I suppose you want to
find a way back home?"

I'm too shocked to answer, so I very forcedly nod my head.

"Very well. I'm here to offer you a proposition. Right now, you are in a sort of
dead space in time." That makes no sense, but neither does anything else that
happened so far. "Nobody is here...except you. I am the ruler of this dimension,
and I'm willing to let you get back to your world."

Finally regaining my voice, I stammer "I-I'm all f-for it. Let's go!"

"BUT!" He chops me off. "You have to take my challenge. See that car out there?"
he points to reveal an Altezza Touring car. Sorta impressive, but I bet my car
could smoke it. "If you can beat me in one lap around the Nurburgring, I'll let
you go back to reality. But if not...you're stuck here forever."

"...OK, then. Bring it on!" I accept his challenge.

"Very well," he responds. "Here's the key to your car, and some cash to rebuild
it. I'll see you at the starting line..." He hands me a blurry key, a check for
$40,000, and dissapears.

But what car would I drive? I wonder as I exit the cafe and...whoa. Where'd that
car come from? Sure enough, my Nissan Skyline GT-R (V-Spec II N1 2000) was
sitting right outside, waiting. It was the same car I was to drive in that
Tuning Grand Prix race. Popping the hood open, I noticed one thing- it was
stock. Well, that's what the $40,000 was for.

Unfortunately, there was nobody at the tuning shop either, so I had to take the
parts and install them myself. I left the cash at the register, just to be fair.
I bought R1 tires,a Racing Flywheel, a Twin Clutch, a Full Transmission, a
Semi-Racing Suspension, a Carbon Driveshaft, Racing Brakes, a Weight Reduction
(level 1), and...and...stupid me, I had no cash left for the wing. Very smart.

Having equipped the proper parts, there was only one thing left to do...get back
to where I came from.
From: e2car | Posted: 12/3/2005 5:19:01 PM | Message Detail
(P.S. Sorry, I know no ring terminology)

Rolling up to the starting line, my heart was pounding, my legs were shaking,
and anything close to courage I had was gone. I was too afraid of screwing up to
think about driving hard. But once the lights turned green, I was off like a
rocket, in the race of my life.

Unfortunately, my opponent's rocket was powered by a few more nuclear reactors,
so to continue the analogy. He took the lead at the first turn (thank goodness
his car was non-ethereal- no crashes here), and I couldn't do much but stare at
his exhaust. I made a couple mistakes here and there, a couple offs at a few
corners, but overall I just couldn't go a fast as him. The timing system said I
was down by 10 seconds. Didn't think it was that much.

Just as reality was sinking in as my car slowed to a halt, the Altezza man
reappeared. He said, "That was a good race. Since I like you, I'll give you a
second chance to get back. BUT! This is your positively, final, chance,
understand?"

I nodded, happy to get a second thought. Unfortunately, I was no less nervous
than before. But, I had to win. I would win. Right?

This time, knowing the course I took the lead at the first corner and held it
until the first long straightaway. He passed me there (I guess my car was
slower...), and held a short lead, until I put one wheel onto the dirt around
1:17. Time slowed to a crawl as the Skyline swayed back and forth, but
eventually I corrected it. Although I was now further behind...

So I had to drive harder. I gained tenths of a second, only to lose them when my
driver door inexplicably caved in on me around 2:38. I most definitely did NOT
hit the wall. Still, between checkpoints 6 and 7 I could feel myself getting
closer...closer...and then 5 minutes in I stuck another tire in on the grass,
and pulled a nice drift. Unfortunately, drifts did not help me go faster.
Getting onto the hu-freaking-mongous straightaway I still had the Altezza man in
sight. I thought my top speed was higher, so I still had a chance. I roared
through the slight bends afterwards without even braking, with my life on the
line. Closer and closer the Altezza came-

...until it dissappeared around the last corner. I never saw it again. I got
close, but just not close enough. My 7'35'819 was just 3 seconds too slow over
his 7'31'161.

At least I'll have lots of time to practice getting this track down. After all,
I'm never able to leave...

[vitg]

From: Von | Posted: 12/3/2005 5:32:51 PM | Message Detail

"I was thinking a neat "virtual" commercial would be to have Wagner play during
the first 120 seconds of DM 34 while the 5 Benzes leave, then at 3 have it
replaced by a "familiar to many" guitar lick, after which Mr Van Sant says "Turn
it up" as the clock expires and the camera cuts to not an SLR McLaren but a
Cadillac Cien (which with a little TCS and DS2 will smoke an SLR McLaren) and
you launch to the tune of "Sweet Home Alabama"."

How about doing that race, but force people to use a RUF, like the CTR2 or the
BTR. Something so outside of the regular handling that people are forced to
relaearn the game to do it. Or, make people do it in the Sauber or F1, but
enforce license test rules level. No leaving the track, no bumping the armco.
---
Tiny subaru versus gigantic german deathring!-Amarynceus


From: jwrebholz | Posted: 12/3/2005 6:07:12 PM | Message Detail

Quick note on the Alpine: That sucker's a handful.


Then again, so is my Christmas present to ..whomever. But it's a handful in a
good way. I'll give you one hint--During testing, I ran a CONSERVATIVE 7:45.
(Note: I have a hard time breaking 8 minutes in most cars. That I hit 7:45 in
this car without even trying should tell you just how fast it is)
---

From: Imperialdramon9 | Posted: 12/3/2005 6:39:20 PM | Message Detail

Sounds like a good car. Wish I could say the same about mine, because mine isn't
exactly spectacular. Just fun to drive IMO.
---

From: jwrebholz | Posted: 12/3/2005 6:44:24 PM | Message Detail

Oh it's a good car. It started out a mediocre one, but it's a good one now.
She's got..quite a bit of work done to her--and I think I may have slightly
blown the budget, but it's Christmas, it's the season of giving, and if I went a
little overboard so much the better for whoever recieves this little beauty.

I'm a very generous person by nature.
---

From: oldguy1957 | Posted: 12/3/2005 7:42:17 PM | Message Detail

Suzuki GSX-R/4

I have to admit I had never taken my pick for the RR out on the Ring in its
fully tuned form. It turns out that this sweet little pocket-rocket becomes a
bit of monster on the high-speed, wide-open bump-fest we've all grown to know
and love.

274 hp in that tiny little thing is a bit like putting a Saturn V rocket on a
tricycle. Okay...its not that bad, and it IS a lot of fun and quite a challenge!
In five attempts, I was unable to put in one complete lap without a mistake. My
closest? A 6'38.5 which included a beautiful 720 coming out of Exmuhle.
Otherwise a great lap.

So, how about it? Is anyone out there man enough to tame this little beast? The
car is certainly capable of times under 6'30. But are you? It takes a steady
hand, and a determination to never touch the green. That's what killed me every
time. One tire in the grass and its all over.

I used R3's. But you're welcome to use whatever you want. Perhaps R4's or R5's
plus a little (or a lot of) ballast would be the way to settle her down a little
bit.

I'm very curious to see what some of you "hot shoes" can do with it. I might
give it another try later, but my old reflexes are shot for tonight. I think
maybe I'll go try to burn up the streets of Paris with my RX-8 for a while.
---
A.K.A. Don Papa



From: SporkOfProbz | Posted: 12/3/2005 7:47:17 PM | Message Detail

3. The "there can be only two cars on a track at a time if a car has its top
down" theory needs to be reworked or may even be completely wrong. The GSX
always "has its top down", and can still compete in six car races. I've read
several times people claiming that they believed it to be due to additional
graphical stresses of processing the driver animations. The fact that this is
always the case in the GSX pretty much throws that part of the theory, at the
very least, out the window.

I think that this is because the GSX's driver has no animation for steering and
shifting. He is simply a red helmet sticking out of the car.
---
………….../|,-‘`¯¯`\(o)_\,----,,,_…………
...………( `\(o),,_/` ¯ : o : : `-,


From: wanderingmuse22 | Posted: 12/4/2005 9:04:02 AM | Message Detail

For those of you who would like a little help tuning your Christmas gifts, go
here:

www.gtplanet.net/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=116

It's the "racing school" thread from the "on line racing" section at
gtplanet.net. What makes it useful is the handy breakdown of topics. Click
"oversteer" for a list of things to try which may correct it. Click "understeer"
for the same. What I also found helpful was the breakdown of tuning the limited
slip differential by drivetrain type (FF, AWD, etc).

There are a lot of good "tuning guides" out there, but this handy breakdown of
problems and parts seemed most useful to me, so I thought I'd share.

Peace.

---
For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will
be the coming of the Son of Man. Matthew 24:27


From: MrPinstripes | Posted: 12/4/2005 10:00:14 AM | Message Detail

It's a bit off-topic, but I thought I'd let everyone know that I'm starting the
restoration of my Land Cruiser.

I'll post pics of the restoration process at:

photobucket.com/albums/a346/MrPinstripes/Land%20Cruiser%20Photos/

I'm planning on taking an inventory of everything obvious I'll need over the
next week, then I'll get on to the disassembly and cleaning on Saturday.

---

On-topic, I'm now free to give my WR some time, and maybe even the NDZ BR. I'll
post back later.

---
Sam the Eagle: *opens door* You are all weirdos. *closes door*
Pics- photobucket.com/albums/a346/MrPinstripes/


From: Soulidarity | Posted: 12/4/2005 11:29:52 AM | Message Detail

I'll be adding muse's link to the archives later today. I'll get your BRs up
today as well Mr. P


From: wanderingmuse22 | Posted: 12/4/2005 2:56:18 PM | Message Detail

Soulidarity, I love what you've done with the blogspot site. The map of 'Ring
diary regulars is an especially nice touch.

---
For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will
be the coming of the Son of Man. Matthew 24:27


From: Soulidarity | Posted: 12/4/2005 3:00:45 PM | Message Detail

I feel like I'm spamming this thread, so bear with me, as I'm trying to get all
this stuff set up still. I've set up a photobucket account specifically for the
purpose of adding any photos that 'ringers want to have posted. If you have a
particularly interesting photo of something that took place on the ring; an
especially fiery crash, a nice battle with another car through adenaur forst, a
screenshot of passing DM 34, whatever, email it to me at [e-mail],
and I'll put it up. I'll add the link to the blog once I have photos posted.

I decided against posting photos directly into the blog as I felt the
photobucket gallery would serve the purpose better.

---
I wonder if in 1991 there were packs of low-brow dorks who hated FFIV because it
wasn't exactly like FFI? ~ Druff


From: javis2375 | Posted: 12/4/2005 3:56:02 PM | Message Detail

~Off Topic~

I am so amazed how this has kept going. I have been here since the start of the
ND, but I never thought it would reach past the tenth volume.

Congratulations to all those who have started it, and kept it up!
---
Maybe it's not your fault. I think you were conceived by a weak sperm.
But thanks for the support. I hope your mom gets cancer.~Worf son of Mogh


From: Soulidarity | Posted: 12/4/2005 4:27:19 PM | Message Detail

*Places package under tree. Its wrapped in dark green wrapping paper with a
golden bow. The tag reads: "From my 'ring to yours ~ Soul"*

---
I wonder if in 1991 there were packs of low-brow dorks who hated FFIV because it
wasn't exactly like FFI? ~ Druff


From: Imperialdramon9 | Posted: 12/4/2005 5:31:58 PM | Message Detail

Hmmm...am I allowed to retrieve my gift? I think I need to change it some.

The webpage is really neat. I like the map of Diaries regulars. I might add
myself some other time, when I feel I am actually "regular" enough. I'm more on
and off at the moment. Also nice to have a updated challenge list to look at, so
I can see what you guys have done in the past.

What happened to RR? I know you guys have done it, but I haven't actually seen
any be announced recently. Are there just not enough interesting cars to use or
something?
---
Xbox Gamertag - Xenigma
SLAI Alias- Xenigma Chip Name- Omega Team- Vanguard


From: MrPinstripes | Posted: 12/4/2005 6:09:22 PM | Message Detail


Alpine A110

As you may remember, I hadn't actually had a chance to take my WR choice out for
a spin when I posted it. I have to say that I'm even more impressed with it now.
The way it snakes and glides is unbelieveable, and it may handle better on N2
tires than any other car I've driven.

My first few laps were spend either re-acclimating myself to both a rear-heavy
car and a "float & roll" classic or just enjoying the car. On about the fifth or
sixth, I decided I had better see what it was capable of or bedtime would catch
me with no good time to post.

If you have a handle on how to control it, the Alpine will take a great amount
of corner-entry abuse, and it's patience will give you plenty of time to correct
mistakes. There's no sudden loss of control, no snap oversteer, nothing
unpleasant at all. It'll even take a tire or three in the grass without too much
complaint.

I slithered around the 'Ring in 8'56.131, a time I'm quite happy with. In the
process, the Alpine just rocketed up my opinion list from "undriveable" to
"favorite". I'll have pics of my run up on my Photobucket account as soon as I
upload them.

---

Imperial- I wouldn't see any problem with messing with your gift, since it
technically hasn't been given yet.

The Suzuki GSX-R/4 is this week's RR. We haven't been doing them every week,
just when someone finds a race/concept car they feel they should share.

Soul- Hey, those were my gift colors! *pout*

---
Sam the Eagle: *opens door* You are all weirdos. *closes door*
Pics- photobucket.com/albums/a346/MrPinstripes/


From: jwrebholz | Posted: 12/4/2005 6:11:19 PM | Message Detail

See, that's why I went with the rude Santas. I knew nobody else would do THAT.
---
I refuse to answer that question on the grounds that you're a moron.


From: sidewinderl | Posted: 12/4/2005 6:24:50 PM | Message Detail

Hey Imperial...if you're having trouble being regular, then just eat more fiber.


From: Imperialdramon9 | Posted: 12/4/2005 7:00:23 PM | Message Detail

*eats a fiber bar*

Bleh. Alright, well, the gift will be messed with.

*uses sixth sense to change car inside rediculously large gift box*
---
Xbox Gamertag - Xenigma
SLAI Alias- Xenigma Chip Name- Omega Team- Vanguard


From: jwrebholz | Posted: 12/4/2005 7:28:32 PM | Message Detail

Oh, my car isn't actually IN that box. All that's in there are the keys. The car
is being held in a nearby secure location. This is so I can continue to tweak
and refine.
---


From: wanderingmuse22 | Posted: 12/4/2005 7:56:00 PM | Message Detail

Imperial, I don't think your total post count matters. If you like the diary,
put a dot on the map. The more the merrier, and without new people it couldn't
keep going.

---
For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will
be the coming of the Son of Man. Matthew 24:27


From: Imperialdramon9 | Posted: 12/4/2005 9:27:21 PM | Message Detail

Just added my dot (South Carolina). I just noticed that viperinthegrass lives in
Australia. That would explain why I couldn't find him in North America...
---
Xbox Gamertag - Xenigma
SLAI Alias- Xenigma Chip Name- Omega Team- Vanguard


From: Soulidarity | Posted: 12/4/2005 9:33:44 PM | Message Detail

Sorry, Mr P, I wasn't trying to rob your gift of some of its originality, I
promise I pretty much had in mind exactly what I was going to do for this
exchange the minute I read sa's post, so it was purely coincidental.


From: viperinthegrass | Posted: 12/4/2005 10:42:42 PM | Message Detail


RR™ Suzuki GSX – R

Mixed feelings.
Now I know what it would feel like to be shrunk and put in a slot car. This car
is totally insane, frustrating, sometimes fun but insane. Frustrating because it
was very hard to get a clean lap, I would be doing alright but always seemed to
lose the plot on the flat out, bumpy bends just after Plantzgarten, Grrr.
I ran a few laps with the car stock + oil change and whittled down my time to a
7 ' 36 . 789 with an extended armco scrape at the above section.
Then I turned it into a full on Racecar adding everything, including the kitchen
sink as ballast. I dont think the DS2 suits it that well but the Auto Tranny was
fine. After much tweaking of bits, spinning out or dropping one wheel off
slighlty and banging the armco I FINALLY got a clean, fast lap. Fun bit – the
cornering speeds of the Suzuki are right up there with the very best of the full
on Racecars i.e.
Flugplatz – 151 mph ( mummy!)
Schwedenkreuz – 165 mph ( Mummy!!) I did take it once at 178mph but did not
survive Aremberg.
Plantzgarten – 123mph ( MUMMY!!!)
So after lots of tuning and trying I manged 6 ' 34 . 621 , there were probably a
couple of corners I could have been braver at and not braked at all, but I just
wanted to get a clean one and get it over with. All up I did about 217 miles in
this car ( sometimes I just dont know when to quit! )
Summary – fun, frustrating but ultimately unsatisfying, I glad there are not
more cars like this in the game otherwise I would have gotten bored and moved on
long ago.

WR™ Alpine 110 1600s

Now your'e talking! A real car and a fabulous looking one to boot. It looks
fantastic trundling around on the replay. I love it.
I drove this for a couple of laps stock and then with aids off etc. straight
after the mind**** that was the Suzuki. I suppose that helped, as I my reflexes were razor
sharp, if the back started to swing out too far it seemed I had an eternity to
catch it and countersteer out of corners. Very sweet. Not that it really ever
got out of hand too much , as there was plenty of “feel”. I was not trying super
hard to get fast laps just enjoying the ride but for what they are worth times
were:

Best lap of two, stock, S2's - 8 ' 41 . 254
One lap N3's aids off + 105 kg driver - 9 ' 00 . 167
Thanks for the picks guys, two interesting Cars.

p.s. Keep the Diary Zone stories coming they are great.

photobucket.com/albums/d195/viperin/
---
“A Man’s got to know his limitations” – Dirty Harry


From: viperinthegrass | Posted: 12/4/2005 10:48:45 PM | Message Detail
pps.
Soulidarity - those numbers in the columns are just the price if you buy that
quantity i.e. 25, 50 or 100 sticks.
The prices for each memory size is pretty good compared to here. I think 64mb or
128 mb is more than enough for most jobs.

Hope that helps

Cop you later!


From: Flibutz | Posted: 12/5/2005 5:11:37 AM | Message Detail

RR: Suzuki GSX-R/4 '01

A fun little car. I had used it before for some endurance race, totally
destroyed the field for 200pts. Clearly one of the best Aspec pt boosters in the
game! However, I used a Wedssport Celica for the JGTC.

Finding the limits of the GSX-R isn't easy. First of all, it can clear corners
at ridiculous speeds. What's more, things are quite sudden when limits are
exceeded. But it has enjoyable lift oversteer and and no understeer, even when
accelerating. The laptimes are just insane. Consider this: The Caterham has way
better p/w ratio, yet the Suzuki is far superior when it comes to laptimes.

Best lap: 7'24.255 - The car could go a lot faster but is difficult when pushing
hard.

Overall, an excellent choice and a lot of fun on the 'Ring! Actually, I think
I'll go win another one and mod it.
---
"All other opinions are idiotic, honestly." –Dethsentence


From: Flibutz | Posted: 12/5/2005 5:15:00 AM | Message Detail

BR: The Nurburgring Diary Zone

No one's going to believe this, I thought. No biggie. After all, it could be I
never get to tell this to anyone. That worried me a bit more. I had fallen
asleep in a plane, only to wake up in a strange but oddly familiar scenery. Was
I dead? Might be. Then I saw a road sign: "Sturtzgefahr"... Now where had I seen
that one before? I started walking as most roads lead somewhere. Surely this one
would, too? Next sign was nearby. "Wehrseifen", it read. Oh, now I get it. I'm
surely dead and in heaven, as this was clearly the fabled Nurburgring
Nordschleife. But, if I really was in heaven, then where's my car? While I was
pondering this, I heard the heavenly scream of a hard-tuned racecar approaching.
I climbed on the armco and watched an Altezza Touring car stop in front of me.
The driver told me to hop in, so I did. He was the strangest guy I had ever
seen. A pitch-black man, dressed in all black, he still emitted a sparkle
consisting of all the colours of the rainbow. His figure was blurry and and
seemed to slightly change in shape and colour all the time. He explained I had
slipped into a dead space in time. How, he wasn't sure, but somebody had clearly
screwed up as I wasn't supposed to be there.

As the sole guardian of this strange dimension, the mysterious man told me he
could send me back, but only if I can beat him and his Altezza in a production
car. What's more, this dimension had a hp cap. Anything over 360hp would be shot
straight into another, far less likable dimension. "That's impossible!" I
protested. But he said I could use whichever car I want, and even upgrade it.
Only limit besides the hp cap was that I could only use 40k "Diary Zone credits"
to upgrade my ride. "Ok, you, mister, are on." I replied. "I'd like a yellow '01
NSX, if possible, thanks." As he pulled into the pit lane, the Honda was already
there. He gave me a list of upgrade prices, and told me to fill out the form
while he was running his lap and turned on a monitor showing a live transmission
from his bumper cam.

I watched him take off, and started marking the upgrades I wanted. I decided on:

Oil change - 50cr.
NA1 - 4,900
Chip - 1,500
SR Exh. - 2,900
R3 Tyres - 22,500
RC Flywheel - 1,050
Weight Red.1 - 1,200
Brake Kit - 4,700
Wing - 1,200
Total - 40,000cr.
Final hp - 353

The Mystery Man was pushing hard, clearly not afraid of the armcos. Damn
immortals! While he had a little bit of trouble keeping the car on the track,
even brushed the armco slightly at one point, he still clocked a 6'59.278 so I
was a bit worried. His gear ratios seemed way off, though.
---
"All other opinions are idiotic, honestly." –Dethsentence


From: Flibutz | Posted: 12/5/2005 5:16:04 AM | Message Detail

It was my turn. I set the downforce of my NSX to the maximum, and turned off
driving aids. I thought about using TCS@1, but I was put off. "Driving aids
don't work properly in this dimension", the stranger explained. "Besides, the
NSX probably won't spin R3s with 353hp so quit worrying." On the good side, this
dimension had an extra feature: By pressing a button in the dashboard, I could
toggle a ghost car, just like in racing games. So I placed my 82kg of live
weight in the car and took off.

I grabbed the lead soon, and trusted my stickier tyres to give me the edge in
spite of the relative lack of downforce. While the stock NSX handles like a
dream on S2s, the slicks had more grip and made the suspension feel a bit soft.
It was a bit scary, but I had to push the car pretty hard if I wanted to beat
the 6'59. Luckily, I managed a totally clean lap of 6'56.678 and won.

"Well done," said Mr. Mysterious. "I'll send you home as the Langoliers are
going to be here soon." While he was talking, I felt my consciousness fade away.
I was the tarmac, the trees, the graffiti, and then nothing. Just black for a
while. Then I woke up again, this time in a hospital. The nurse explained that I
had indeed been the sole survivor of a plane crash, but I had been found inside
the wreck three days ago unconscious yet strangely without any sign of physical
injuries. I started babbling about the race in another dimension. The nurse
thought it was funny story, and said that kind of strange dreams are common when
you're unconscious.

The next day, they let me out of the hospital. When I saw a yellow NSX parked in
the lot I felt my pocket and found the key Mr. Mysterious had given me.

[vitg]

From: Flibutz | Posted: 12/5/2005 7:18:10 AM | Message Detail
WR: Alpine A110 1600S '73

I'm going to be brief as there's not much to add.

Though I hadn't driven the A110 before, It was very close to my expectations.
This was due to reading the reviews here before I started. It seems we have
become pretty good at describing cars! The RUFitis clearly has paid off, as I
felt right at home in the Alpine. Again, I did hop in the car with the mindset
of driving a baby RUF. Also, I knew many flat-out bends already so I could take
Mutkurve at full whack even on the first lap. That was a 8'20.xxx run and I
built up a good confidence about the car while doing it. It really doesn't mind
putting a wheel on the grass! The second lap ended in Schwedenkreuz as I lost it
and restarted. The second completed lap was a clean 8'16.196

This is clearly my kind of car, I've had lots of fun with it already. Maybe I
should try it on Ns.

Muse suggested trying it as a rally car. Probably a good idea, as it was a very
successful rally car in its time.
---
"All other opinions are idiotic, honestly." –Dethsentence


From: Flibutz | Posted: 12/5/2005 10:40:18 AM | Message Detail

*Snags the RR for this week*

It's pretty expensive and non-winnable, so you might want to do a DTCM run or
two to pay for it.


Page 13 of 13 The Nurburgring Diary: Volume XII

From: jwrebholz | Posted: 12/5/2005 12:29:12 PM | Message Detail

Here's another BR idea for you guys to chew on. Call this one "Any Means
Necessary".

You've been captured by KAOS. They've mistaken you for a powerful government
agent, and they were going to execute you--but then they realized their foul-up
when they saw the REAL agent walking around somewhere else. Unfortunately they
can't just let you go, so their leader will cut you a deal.

You've been given a selection of beater used cars--none of which has more than
about 250 HP. Your captors kick you a paltry 15,000 cr for modifications. There
is a 50-kg bomb in the trunk of your car. The timer is set for 500 seconds (8
minutes) and will begin counting down the moment you cross the start/finish
line. Cross the finish line before the bomb goes off. Drive like your life
depends on it--because it DOES. Hold nothing back. Use any means necessary--that
means mowing the lawn, wallriding, cutting corners, whatever you can to shave
seconds.

So the terms are as follows:
Pick ANY used car with 250 or less HP.
Spend up to 15,000 cr on mods.
Add 50kg ballast to either the extreme rear of the car or extreme front (for MR
cars) for the bomb.
Finish one lap in under 8 minutes any way you can.
---
I refuse to answer that question on the grounds that you're a moron.


From: MrPinstripes | Posted: 12/5/2005 1:33:01 PM | Message Detail

Flibutz- The A110 is the nicest handling car on N-grade rubber I've driven. You
should definitely give it a try.

JW- Sounds fun. I promise I won't take a Caterham.

---
Sam the Eagle: *opens door* You are all weirdos. *closes door*
Pics- photobucket.com/albums/a346/MrPinstripes/


From: The White Ghost | Posted: 12/5/2005 1:47:41 PM | Message Detail

This has been a very strange day. First I walk out of the coffee shop just have
my coffee slapped out of my hands by these strange men in these equally bizarre
uniforms anyway they detain me saying Im an agent and deserve to die a pigs
death but then they finally realized I had no idea what was going on so they
slapped me a 00' miata RS and said if you can take these 15,000 credits and make
this car run under 8 minutes on the ring then your free I almost to quickly said
yes but then they told me that the car was rigged with explosives and said if I
did not get it under 8 minutes in 1 lap then it would go off me not wanting to
end up in somebodies lawn manure set off modifying this hopelessly slow miata
first i set to give it some power (turbo stage 1, and nitrous) and then I
slapped some downforce on the sucker and after all that I looked at my funds and
saw i was rather limited so I bought a racing flywheel and a racing chip that
set me at...lets see 4,500+5,000=9,500+1,000+900=

Grand total for parts: 11,450
leftovers: 3,550
now after i arrived at the track with shackles on my feet and cuffs on my wrists
half asleep I was thrown out of their carrier and they un-cuffed me and said
DRIVE!!

In this drive for my life i actually didint cut every other corner but i cut
some like through adneaur forst and the karrasul and after the dottinger hohe
straight the little kink and zoomed around the final corner to a 7:58.215 and as
soon as i saw the strange men clapping I got out asked them to take the bomb out
which the happily obliged to do and zoomed away and never looked back
---
Su unica opcion es suicidio-choco2000


From: sotoakech9091 | Posted: 12/5/2005 2:13:34 PM | Message Detail

yea so i just did jw's latest challenge
and yea
i ended up dying with a time of 8:23 with a subaro impreza
---
Without light there is no shadow-Hanzo Hattori


From: sotoakech9091 | Posted: 12/5/2005 2:53:08 PM | Message Detail

I was walking home from my repair shop and one guy walked up to me and shot me
with a tranquilizer. I woke up from my sleep to find myself cuffed in a car
driving somewhere while blindfolded. we suddenly stopped. he took me out of the
car and uncuffed me and took the blindfold off. he then said to me take this
used vw golf IV gti '01 with 17,000 cr. added on to it and race around the ring
in less than 9'00. He then said to me if you dont do it less than 9'00 then i
will make you and your family suffer and then eventually lead you to the end of
your life.
---
Without light there is no shadow-Hanzo Hattori


From: wanderingmuse22 | Posted: 12/5/2005 3:13:29 PM | Message Detail

MrP, would you put the Alpine A110 on N2's above the Lotus Elan on N2's?
---
For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will
be the coming of the Son of Man. Matthew 24:27


From: MrPinstripes | Posted: 12/5/2005 4:50:02 PM | Message Detail

Muse- I still haven't spent much time in the Elan (I started perfecting Cote
d'Azur in it, then got distracted), so I'm hardly an authority, but it's a
really close call. The A110 may very well be my new favorite car.

---
Sam the Eagle: *opens door* You are all weirdos. *closes door*
Pics- photobucket.com/albums/a346/MrPinstripes/


From: wanderingmuse22 | Posted: 12/5/2005 9:14:41 PM | Message Detail

I thought the same of the A110 when I first drove it, so I can't blame you
there. Do you think it needs an FC transmission, or a flywheel, or something? I
know it doesn't have a lot of power, but it doesn't have a lot of weight either.
It shouldn't feel sluggish, should it?



From: sackedagain | Posted: 12/6/2005 7:44:52 AM | Message Detail

I see five packages under the Ring Tree now, in addition to mine:

Mr. Pinstripes, ImperialD, Sidewinder, JW, and Soul.

I'm making the eggnog.


From: wanderingmuse22 | Posted: 12/6/2005 8:28:54 AM | Message Detail

*much applause for Flibutz*

Flibutz, it was very, very cool of you to perform and write up the Elan v Apine
comparison. Well done. The FC transmission for the Elan is a 5 speed. If you
bolt one on and bump up the auto set to 7 or 8, I think you'll find the top end
it needs to whoop the Alpine, and certainly ANY Miata.

MrP, the Elan should shine at Cote d'Azur. I ran it in the 1,000 miles cup and
was blown away by the absence of tire wear- this car is smoother than I could
dream of being. B Spec Bob got twelve laps on one set of S2's at the 'Ring.

Sackedagain, save room for me under your tree. I've every intention of getting a
package there (though I may be in for some Dec. 15th tuning).

---
For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will
be the coming of the Son of Man. Matthew 24:27


From: viperinthegrass | Posted: 12/6/2005 1:27:55 PM | Message Detail

Package placed under Tree, gave myself a hernia doing it though. Package is
wrapped in old newspapers as I went a bit over budget and ran out of money but I
did keep enough for a nice Black & White Bow.
Only Ten sleeps to go!!


From: Soulidarity | Posted: 12/6/2005 4:14:00 PM | Message Detail

Here's a few car's that I'd love to see in the next GT and take for a spin on
the ring.

Since most of us here love Lotus' (Lotii?), I'm pretty sure I can predict how
you'll all feel about the new Europa

www.autoblog.com/entry/1234000027071288/

Camaro supercars, anyone?

money.cnn.com/2005/11/09/Autos/funonwheels/motion_camaro/

---

From: Flibutz | Posted: 12/7/2005 4:28:33 AM | Message Detail

BR: Any Means Necessary

As I was walking home from a local pub one day, A black car with tinted windows
stopped in front of me, tyres screeching. Before I even got to wondering what
was going on, I was in the trunk cuffed and tied. Luckily it was a quite roomy,
and overall nice... For a trunk. After a while of driving, the car stopped, and
I was released from the trunk. There was a bunch of mean-looking people outside,
asking me strange questions. I had absolutely no idea what they were talking
about. To my surprise, they didn't get violent. When they were walking me into a
cell, the guy who looked like the leader said: "Don't play stupid, Mr. Bond.
You'll only make things worse for yourself. We have our ways of squeezing the
truth from you!" "What kind of amateurs are you, anyway?" I protested. "Do I
look like a friggin Sean Connery to you?" But the door slammed shut. I was very
scared and feared what the morons would do to me during the interrogation.
Nothing seemed to be happening yet though, so I gradually fell asleep.

I slept for quite some time, and woke up when the door opened again. It was the
man from the previous day, escorted by a couple of huge bodyguards. "Seems like
you were right. " he said. "You're not our man. Unfortunately, you've seen my
face, and been to our hideout and everything, so we can't just let you go.
Normally we'd kill you on the spot, but I thought I'll give you chance: It's my
son's birthday, and he likes racing. So we'll arrange a little show for him as a
gift. In the backyard, there are several cars. Pick one, and run it around our
racetrack. To make things more interesting, we'll put a timed bomb in the trunk.
The timer is set at 8 minutes, but going over the finish line will automatically
stop it."

He led me to a collection of well-worn cars. I would have preferred something
with slicks, downforce or both since my life was on the line, but didn't find
such a car. I ended up choosing a Nissan Fairlady Z 300ZX (Z31) '83 that had a
several upgrades, mostly in the engine department. Their engineer told it had:

Oil Change - 50
Weight reduction 1 - 1,100
Racing Intercooler - 2,700
Racing Chip - 1,250
Stage 1 Turbo - 4,600
Racing Exhaust - 4,600
Semi-Racing Flywheel - 550
Total - 14,850

323hp, 1255kgs.

After they had rigged the car, I started it and got going. They must have really
meant business, since the bomb weighed 50 kgs. The Nissan handled well even with
the shot rigidity and slid around gracefully. While my lap wasn't perfect, it
was pretty good. I clocked a clean 7'52.000 and the bomb didn't explode.

Back at their hideout, the leader revealed me the true name of this game. They
had known who I was all along. They were in dire need of a fast driver, so they
had decided to see if I could drive fast under huge pressure. I was offered a
job that would make me very wealthy. "I dunno." I said. "Sounds too dangerous
for me. Can I refuse?" "Why, of course you can!" the leader said cheerily. "You
can go home whenever you want, we'll just have to slit your throat first." Not
amused by his sick sense of humour, I chose to accept. It was only a 5-year
contract anyway. I wonder if they'll kill me or release me after its expiration?

RR:

The RR for the week is...

*drum roll*

Gillet Vertigo Race Car '04

It's quite the handful, though not as bad as you might think. Be patient and
brake early.
---

From: Flibutz | Posted: 12/7/2005 4:41:15 AM | Message Detail

BTW, that Europa looks fantastic! I think we have a pretty good chance of seeing
it in GT5. Thanks for the link, Soul!

*drool*

The "Camaro" looks nice, but I'd get rid of those stupid bling-bling chromium
wheels. And a few other shiny parts, too. However, 8.9 liters sounds
delightfully insane.
---
"All other opinions are idiotic, honestly." –Dethsentence


From: wanderingmuse22 | Posted: 12/7/2005 4:49:25 AM | Message Detail

The Gillet Vertigo made me angry. If only there was a way to cut its horsepower
in half it would be a fantastic car. There's a road version in real life, it's a
shame it didn't make it to the game. Having said that, I've thought for a while
now that it'd be a good RR, because DFP drivers might enjoy it.

Here's a "year end" topic, if you need one: click "first page" and look at the
lists of WR cars. What are your top 5, based on pure preference? (e.g., the M5
is a better car than the Quattro, but if you liked the Quattro more, say so). If
you'd like to take it a step further, what is your bottom 5?


From: jwrebholz | Posted: 12/7/2005 5:27:22 AM | Message Detail

My top 5 WRs?
Hmm. Well, in no particular order...
1. Chrysler 300C. This was one of my WR picks, so of course it's one of my
favorites. I still like the way this car hauls it around the track--even though
most people hated it. Yeah it's kind of a barge, but I'm an old school muscle
car afficionado and the car has an old-school appeal.

2. Mazda6 5-door '03. Another of my WR picks. This car really surprised me. I
never expected a front-driver to handle this well, but this hatch showed
remarkable poise for a sporty family sedan. Adding 30-40 more ponies only made
the car that much more enjoyable, and I've since taken my WR car up to nearly
300 horsepower with no ill effects. (I'm still running S2s and still running
stock suspension!) It's really a great little car.

3. Lancia STRATOS '73. I hated this car at first. I damned it and its designers
to the deepest, darkest pits of Hell for building such an uncooperative, twitchy
beast of a car--then I learned how to drive it. I still think it's an
uncooperative, twitchy beast of a car, but now instead of planting my controller
into the wall I can't get the grin off my face.

4. Chevrolet Camaro IROC-Z Concept. What can I say, I love Camaros. I love this
Camaro too. It tracks well, pulls strongly and doesn't surprise you. It's not a
car I use for thrills--it's one I use to relax because it's an easy car to
drive.

5. Chevrolet Corvette L46 350 '69. This car really shocked me. I expected it, as
an older car, to handle like mud and top out really quick. It DID top out
quickly, but the handling was a pleasant surprise. Despite running on narrow,
bias-ply tires the car sticks well. Adding a customizable transmission really
makes this car a joy.

And now for my bottom 5. Again, in no particular order.

1. Ford F-150 Lightning. Handling a barge like the 300C I can do, because
despite being a barge it was prone to oversteer, which is fun. The Lightning
pushed like a snowplow, spun its tires at the worst opportunities, and no amount
of rearward ballast could correct this car's nose-heavy behavior.

2. Ford GT '05. An overpowered, uncontrollable MESS (at least for me) I couldn't
and still can't get a handle on this monstrosity. Putting 500 horsepower in a
car that weighs less than 3,000 pounds will do that.

3. Renault Clio Sport V6. God, what a mess. Here's a brilliant example of French
engineering--they took a third-rate economy car, stuck a big honking V6 where
the back seat used to be, dropped it into the weeds and said "HEY, we made a
sportscar!" The car offended me the moment I saw it, and it's a car that was
clearly not built to be mid-engined. I spent almost as much time in the grass as
on the road.

4. HPA Motorsports Golf R32. I like the regular R32. It's a competent if
uninspiring AWD performance car. HPA basically took an R32, stuffed a crapload
of power under the hood and called it a day. The car is clearly the result of an
unprofessional aftermarket botch-job. It's obvious why this car is so cheap--no
sane person would actually DRIVE it.

5. Audi TT. I don't know what exactly about this car rubbed me the wrong way,
but I didn't like it at all. It understeered a lot--maybe that was it--and the
exhaust note really started to get on my nerves after awhile.
---
I refuse to answer that question on the grounds that you're a moron.


From: Flibutz | Posted: 12/7/2005 6:33:47 AM | Message Detail

Some Vertigo notes:

I ran a 5'55.920 with it. I can picture myself improving on that, but not by
much.

I think it's easier to drive with the pad than most Group C cars, because small
steering adjustments are easier to do due to lack of downforce. I like a
frustrating car every once in a while, but I still use TCS with cars this
powerful, and my pad > DS2 when it comes to throttle/braking control anyway.

The main problem is that it indeed has too much power for its own good. It has
the best top speed on the ring of the cars I've tried, excluding modded ones.
Wasn't it a <500hp car in GT3? I too would like a road version of it.

Another thing, the suspension needs some serious softening to work on the ring.
I used SRs of 11.8/11.3, dampers at 5/7 in both front and rear and stabilizers
at 4. It's still a work in progress and can definitely be improved upon. It's
still probably a bit too hard.

My top 5 WRs, in no particular order:

-Proto Motors Spirra 4.6 V8 '04
-Cizeta V16T '94
-RUF BTR '86
-Lancia Stratos '73
-Alpine A110 1600S '73

Pretty much the same reason for all of them: They're so much fun to slide
around, and challenging.

I wasn't around yet when the BTR and Stratos were WRs, but I have put a lot of
mileage on them afterwards. I even used a stock Stratos to win the 4h 'Ring
enduro for 200pts.
---
"All other opinions are idiotic, honestly." –Dethsentence


From: MrPinstripes | Posted: 12/7/2005 2:28:22 PM | Message Detail

My top 5 WRs, in no particular order:

Jaguar E-Type- The Jags in this game are just such a complete package. They
handle beautifully, look great, feel well-tuned, just perfect. As an additional
bonus, since it's a game, we don't have to worry about trying to keep them
running.

Alpine A110 1600S- Best. Car. Ever. It's become my new favorite, supplanting the
long-running Shelby/AC Cobra, in part because it can equip dirt and snow tires.
Plus, it has all of the RR fun with none of the RR power-understeer.

Ruf BTR- Disgustingly fast for it's P/W, and you'll never, ever get a perfect
run. I keep coming back to it whenever I work up the courage. I think it may
eventually be replaced by the CTR Middlefingerbird, but I need to work on my
throttle control before I make that leap.

AC 427 S/C- Not only is it more well-rounded than its American cousin, it comes
in the best color in the game (Live Oak). I remember bouncing up and down when I
found the transmission would allow you to go over 130 MPH. Too bad neither of
the Cobras sound as mean as the Shelby did in GT3...
"GUH-GUH-GUH-GUARRRRRRROOOOOM!"

Aston Martin DB9- Just plain well-balanced. This is another one that can
slaughter cars with a lot higher P/W ratio, and look dead sexy doing it. I like
the styling better for the DB9 than I do for the Vanquish, too. It's just a
little more streamlined and refined looking.

Honorable mentions go to both the FF cars (my Seat and JW's Mazda), since they
were both great FFs, though not exciting enough to make my Top 5.

Keep in mind that I've only run about half of the list, though I doubt it had
too much of an impact on my Top 5. If it were a Top 10, though, it'd be a
different story.

"And now for something completely different..."

Chrysler 300C- Like JW said, this one was sorta a bomb. It just seemed to have
all the wrong characteristics at all the wrong times- understeer when you needed
slide, oversteer when you needed stability. This would likely be replaced by the
Ford F150, had I driven it, since the 300C wasn't terrible, but it wasn't good,
either.

Nissan 350Z GT4 Limited Edition- This is a damn boring car. It's not quite
understeery enough to cause problems, but it's a close call on some spots. It
is, however, damn fast for it's P/W, though you'll feel like a grandma when
you're driving it.

Spyker C8 Laviolette- Does that name look like Latrine-O-Toilet to anyone else?
I hated this thing. Too much power for it's own good, bass-ackwards handling
(it's rather like the 300C in that regard), and it's the ugliest thing this side
of Sloth. It needs a good kick in the downforce to make it driveable.

Audi TT- The TT 3.2 is downright reticent on N-grade rubber. On S-grade it's
better, but it's still a fat and sluggish beastie. The S3 and A3 are both much
better cars, and are loads of fun to drive. It does come in some nice colors,
though.

Nissan Skyline GT-R V-Spec II Nur- My hatred of Skylines continues, though at
least they handle better this time around (since we have to drive 3 or 4 per
license test... GRR!). This one falls to the same hatchet that the Nissan Z fell
to; boredom. Sure, it's insanely fast for it's P/W, but if I have to pinch
myself to stay awake when I'm driving it, it bodes ill for my opinion of the
car. And Ugly + Fat + Trendy = Not my kind of girl.

---

It's Wednesday already and I haven't picked the next contestant on "Pick that
Weekend Rider!". Any volunteers, or do I have to strongarm somebody?

[vitg]

From: jwrebholz | Posted: 12/7/2005 2:41:22 PM | Message Detail

Mr. P: I simulate the true British car experience by having the puppy in the
room. She'll pull the controller either out of my hands, or out of the socket,
at random intervals--does a good job of simulating breakdowns.
---
I refuse to answer that question on the grounds that you're a moron.


From: viperinthegrass | Posted: 12/7/2005 3:32:18 PM | Message Detail

Any Means Necessary BR™

So there I was on my way to visit my Uncle who runs a Pig Farm in Nürburg, when
I get snatched by these K.A.O.S agents and taken to the nearby Nürburgring!
Apparently they have me mixed up with some Control agent called Maxwell
something or other! Clowns.
What they dont know is that I am a retired agent from U.N.C.L.E and I could take
them any time I wanted to. I decide to play along and see what's going down.
Just then another Bozo turns up and says he has just spotted this Maxwell
character at the Train Station and they have the wrong man!
The head Bozo looks embarassed and starts slapping some of the others who slap
back until its like a Three Stooges scene. Clowns.
The head Bozo then say's he will cut me a deal, they were going to get this
Maxwell dude to drive this Car rigged with a Bomb on a timer set for eight
minutes, if he did not make a lap of the Ring in time, bye bye Maxwell.
Boy, what a bunch of morons, if it was me I would just pop a couple of caps in
this Maxwells ass, Baddaboom Baddabing, end of problem.
So they promise to let me go ( Scouts Honour ) if I can do the lap in time. I
try to keep a straight face and agree, pretending to sob and wail and beg for my
life
( hey I might as well enjoy myself ! )
So I get in the Car which happens to be a very nice Audi S4 about 248hp I would
guess. One of my guards is telling me he'd spent 15k doing it up with Stage 1&2
weight reduction, Racing Chip, Wing, a bottle of NOS and a Semi Racing Flywheel.
I think he was a bit of a car nut because he was nearly crying at the thought of
it being blown up soon. Clown.
So I pull a big donut on the line and roar off. About 7 miles in I am well in
front of the clock so I pull up to prepare a little suprise for these escapees
from Dumb & Dumber.
So I arrive back at the end of my lap with 1. 036 seconds to spare, the guy who
did up the Car even starts cheering for me!!
They are as good as their word and let me go, they even give me a Bus Ticket so
I can get back to Town.
I get about half a mile down the road when there is a loud whoomph and I see a
small but satisfyingly lurid Mushroom cloud appear where the Car was.
Huh, bloody amateurs, that will teach them to mess with a man from U.N.C.L.E.

photobucket.com/albums/d195/viperin/
---
“A Man’s got to know his limitations” – Dirty Harry


From: viperinthegrass | Posted: 12/7/2005 3:40:21 PM | Message Detail

I will have a think about the Top and Bottom 5 tonight after work and post then.
I also have a few questions and comments for various people but do not have time
now ( at work )


From: Gman75 | Posted: 12/7/2005 3:41:14 PM | Message Detail

Hey, I am quickly getting hooked on the ring diary.
Especially the BR and its creative challenges and write ups.
And the WR has put me on to some terriffic machines I might not have jumped into
previously.hoping to dip my toe into the waters of taking part and submitting times and
feedback soon - not much of a ringer at the moment but with some time for
obsessive playing while the wife is at work on the horizon, I hope to become a
(green)hell-hound soon.
I like your Blogspot Soulidarity but my question is - is there a way I can view
previous voulmes?
I would love to read over some of the previous BR writeups


From: wanderingmuse22 | Posted: 12/7/2005 3:57:39 PM | Message Detail

Welcome, Gman! Sadly, the tragedy of the 'Ring Diary is all the imaginative and
creative writing lost when the old volumes are purged. I think sackedagain
archived the first version on gmail, but I don't know if it was tracked beyond
that. It'd be nice to have such an archive. It's never too late to join the
fray, however, and new blood is always welcome. Feel free to chime in about any
past WR's that strike your imagination, too.

Has anyone talked to gamefaqs about this, or are they (Volumes 1-11, excluding
the mischeviously deleted volumes) lost into nether regions?


---
For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will
be the coming of the Son of Man. Matthew 24:27


From: Soulidarity | Posted: 12/7/2005 4:30:05 PM | Message Detail

Hey gman, we've been doing what we can to compile whatever old BRs that we can
based on people's memory, but to my knowledge there is no way to retrieve
anything beyond what we can remember. As far as I know when GF purges old
topics, even the admins and mods can't access them anymore, as they are
completely deleted from the server.

---
I wonder if in 1991 there were packs of low-brow dorks who hated FFIV because it
wasn't exactly like FFI? ~ Druff


From: Soulidarity | Posted: 12/7/2005 4:30:55 PM | Message Detail

by the way, are you a half life fan, or did you name yourself after the old cia
(?) term for government man?

---
I wonder if in 1991 there were packs of low-brow dorks who hated FFIV because it
wasn't exactly like FFI? ~ Druff


From: Gman75 | Posted: 12/7/2005 4:56:15 PM | Message Detail

That's a shame. i would have liked to read about the Crazy Uncle One Lap Magic
and Happy Thanksgiving BRs. The Nurburgring Zone and Chaos BRs have been
fantastic reading.
The blog of the old topics is still great though.
As i said I will continue to read and soon will do a couple of BRs and WRs
whilst the domestic CEO is at work and I am on holidays- sadly she doesn't get
why so many hours are required in GT world.
Speaking of interesting cars I just did the Dream Car championship in the
Extreme Hall. My ride was the Nissan Fairlady Concept Race Car 02 that i picked
up in the Japanese Championship.
I had some good battles with two Ford race cars including a 0.002sec M.O.V. at
the Test Course.
The thing about this car is that it understeers badly if you go into a corner
too hot BUT when braking at a decent speed whilst turning the back end rips
around. So I have been working on a brake, turn,cost and brake again while
turning technique that is fun especially in Paris and Honk Kong. Might be an
interesting drive at the ring.
I am going to jump into this Alpine that everybody's raving about soon.

GMan is not quite so cloak and dagger - its an old nickname I had from a
football team i played with


From: Soulidarity | Posted: 12/7/2005 5:09:41 PM | Message Detail

I'll come up with something for the WR if no one else grabs the torch, but I
won't have time to come up with any clever hints.

---
I wonder if in 1991 there were packs of low-brow dorks who hated FFIV because it
wasn't exactly like FFI? ~ Druff


From: wanderingmuse22 | Posted: 12/7/2005 8:41:56 PM | Message Detail

I would like to thank MrPinstripes for also forgetting to name a successor, now
I don't feel so bad (being that I forgot, too)

My top five WR's:

Hommel Berlinette This is the car that was "Undsiputed French Champ of GT4"
until the Alpine A110 came along and dethroned it. It's a little too big for
MRkinder, but is a delightful oversteering car that might make for fun racing
against one of the MG's (the TF160 would be an honorable mention).

AC Cars 427 S/C I love this car. I haven't driven a clean lap in it yet, but I
love driving it. It is a "must drive" car in GT4. I love watching the replays. I
love looking at it in my garage. I love the AC Cars 427 S/C.

Jaguar E Type Coupe Thank you, JW (or whomever nominated it, if I'm mistaken).
My E Type is Indigo Blue. I was initially tempted to push for one in British
Racing Green, but I'm glad I didn't. I adore my purple cat. At first I couldn't
drive it. It felt wild, and I didn't like the fourth gear top out. I've since
learned how to drive, and couldn't help but fall in love with the E Type.

Ford GT '05 I don't think I was paying attention when this car was WR. Then one
weekend I put N3's on one and set out to log a perfect lap- license test clean
while driving as fast as possible. It's the inspiration for the crazy uncle BR.
The Ford GT '05 is on the "cars I'd drive if I had to win a bet" list.

Seat Ibiza Cupra Driving this car for WR made me realize two things:

1. good FF cars do exist
2. a car doesn't have to be powerful to be fun.

The latter is a reoccurring theme with WR's, and is a big part of sinking one's
teeth into this game, especially via the Nurburgring Nordschleife. I'd driven
low powered cars and enjoyed them, but I viewed them as "training wheels",
working my way up to speed on the 'Ring.

I've since come full circle, and many of my favorite cars are 175hp or less.
That's not to say I don't like fast cars, but I couldn't have appreciated a
jewel like the Lotus Elan (even though it was my first 'Ring car) until I
learned to appreciate the Seat Ibiza Cupra.

Peace.


From: viperinthegrass | Posted: 12/7/2005 8:47:16 PM | Message Detail

Afternoon Tea time, around 3.45p.m., somewhere near the Red Sea ( If you can
place that misquote a Christmas Pudding for you! )

As I have mentioned to Souli I am an inveterate hoarder of everything, I have a
folder on my Hard drive to save all diary pages and have everything from when
Diary IX was trashed to now. So if anybody wants WR, BR or RR writeups I will be
glad to pass them on. Ask and ye shall receive!!

While I have the chance I must apologise for my cheaty effort in the "Any means
Necessary BR" as I had a good story in my head and did not want to Bomb out
(Sorry ! ) So I used the NOS to help on DH otherwise I would have failed by
about 7 seconds.


From: Imperialdramon9 | Posted: 12/7/2005 9:01:05 PM | Message Detail

So, will Soul be assigning the WR then? Seems like no one else has decided to
volunteer.
---
Xbox Gamertag - Xenigma
SLAI Alias- Xenigma Chip Name- Omega Team- Vanguard


From: oldguy1957 | Posted: 12/7/2005 10:00:51 PM | Message Detail

RR™

Gillet Vertigo Race Car '04

YIKES!!! Now I understand why it pits so often.

My first lap, running it out of the box (just turning the driving aids off), was
a 7 flat...with several off-road excursions.

I then pulled into the pits and maxed out the auto-set for the tranny, raised
the ride-height to the max and set the springs all the way soft. Yeah, not
really a setup for maximum performance, but my goal was simply to complete a
clean lap. My setup made the back end a little squirrelly, but it no longer took
a flying leap sideways every time it hit a bump.

Since I have a DFP, I left the TCS at 0, and just tried to control the wheel
spin with my foot. With a lot of the cars we've driven lately, it's fun to just
see how long you can keep your foot planted to the floor, wishing for a little
more hp. With the Vertigo, it's a challenge to try to keep the right foot
planted for more than just a few seconds!! I think I used my left foot more than
my right!

One of the places that gave me trouble that I had never had trouble with any
other car, was the kink in the straight before Flugplatz. There's a bump there,
or something, that threw me into the Armco several times.

On my fourth lap, I finally got a clean one in at 6'23. I can see where
sub-sixes are certainly possible, but not with the setup I used. Mine was a
"survival setup", not meant to produce the fastest time. If someone hits a setup
that is both fast and semi-stable, please post it. I'd like to give it another
try. But I'm not good enough at suspension settings to come up with the hot
setup myself.

One thing for sure: When you push the GO button for this car, IT GOES!
---
A.K.A. Don Papa


From: viperinthegrass | Posted: 12/8/2005 12:30:35 AM | Message Detail

Top Five Riders
This is really hard, just picking five when I like so many of them.
I started ringing about the time of the Cadillac Cien, and every Car I have
driven has taught me something and helped to improve my skills. Anyway here
goes, in no particular order :

Buick Special - It is better to drive than to chase
Plymouth SuperBird - Because it's there?
E – Type Jaguar - What Mr. P said
I think there is a pattern developing here! I do love the older cars though,
they may not be the fastest or best handling but they fall into my “comfort
zone” of 7 to 8 minute lappers. Plus they look so damn good doing it.
Ruf BTR - I have a well documented obsession with all things Ruf
Proto Motors Spirra - Not much to choose between the MR cars, I love them all.

I cannot in all honesty pick a “bottom” five, all the WR's have something to
Offer at worst some may be a bit bland but you need those for a comparison.

'Muse - While I think of it did you ever get the SL55 AMG Merc sorted? I was
thinking of having a go tuning it this weekend if I can catch up with all my
other driving duties.

Soulidarity – The Blog and Archive sites just keep getting better and better. I
notice on the Blog site I have an extra page with my map and a “VITG friends”
box and a comments box. What can I do with these?
I will email a couple of my 'Ring photos soon, probably only a couple at a time
as it takes forever to upload and download stuff with my dialup modem.
I regularly check everyone's Photobucket sites and there is plenty of good
material there so we should end up with a damn fine gallery.

Today I put a deposit on a DFP wheel which will be a Christmas present to myself

Flibutz – I am broke so I will try the RR as soon as I can get to the DTCM Piggy
Bank. I am currently sharing driving duties with Bob on Sarthe 2 Endurance Race
which will help with funds as well.

Welcome to Gman75, get stuck in it wont hurt a bit.

photobucket.com/albums/d195/viperin/
---
“A Man’s got to know his limitations” – Dirty Harry


From: Flibutz | Posted: 12/8/2005 1:36:48 AM | Message Detail

OMG I forgot the AC! It definitely belongs in my top 5... I'll have to replace
the Cizeta and just give it an honorable mention. How one can forget about a car
that wild is beyond me. I haven't driven it in ages though which is my best
(though not very good) excuse. This all tells me I should get some more seat
time in it!

VITG - One set of archived diaries, please! Saving them is a big contribution so
thank you. My address is nabuxster at gmail dot com

*hands over a cookie to VITG*
---
"All other opinions are idiotic, honestly." –Dethsentence


From: MrPinstripes | Posted: 12/8/2005 3:28:47 AM | Message Detail

The one BR writeup I thought was absolutely great was "Swedes Invade Germany!,
or How to Destroy Your Mother's Volvo". I think it was in Vol VII, but I'm not
positive. It was damn funny, though.

Muse- Bruudlinho nominated the Jag E-Type. He was jumping up and down ranting
about how great it was for two weeks beforehand, too. Sorta like me,
post-Alpine...

---
Sam the Eagle: *opens door* You are all weirdos. *closes door*
Pics- photobucket.com/albums/a346/MrPinstripes/


From: wanderingmuse22 | Posted: 12/8/2005 4:56:38 AM | Message Detail

Viperinthegrass, is the Red Sea quote from "Hunt for the Red October"?

As for the Merc, I set the SL55 aside and went to work on the CLK55, tuning
strictly on N2's. I did it like that because on S2's they drive fine. I wouldn't
say I got it sorted, but I logged a lot of laps, and learned a good bit about
inducing oversteer. I'm off Friday, if I get the chance (Lord Willing) I'll post
my setups and how I arrived at them.

MrP, thank you for the refresh. Bless Bruudlinho, wherever he's gotten off to.

---
For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will
be the coming of the Son of Man. Matthew 24:27


From: Amarynceus | Posted: 12/8/2005 12:33:01 PM | Message Detail

Heh, I do believe "Swedes Invade Germany!" was a BR writeup of mine. That was
when the BR was mainly a credit limit and a used lot designation with none of
the great story structure we have now.

I wish I had started saving volumes of the Diary earlier. I only started doing
that with the last few...

Oh, and Soul, these are the WRs and RRs that were my picks:

AC 427 S/C

Chevrolet Corvette C5R
Toyota SUPERAUTOBACS Apex MR-S

Hmmm... I'll have to come up with my top 5 / bottom 5 WRs. Have to think on that
one first...

---
For sweetest things turn sourest by their deeds:
Lilies that fester smell far worse than weeds.


From: jwrebholz | Posted: 12/8/2005 4:10:01 PM | Message Detail

I wonder, who was the guy who started adding backstory to the BR? It'd be
interesting to see who started that--it's made things a lot more fun.

Speaking of BRs, my writeup will soon follow.

[vitg]

From: jwrebholz | Posted: 12/8/2005 4:22:17 PM | Message Detail

Budget Rider--Any Means Necessary

I was sitting in a room, tied to a chair. Before me stood two men--one of them a
bit older, wearing a dark leather coat. The other was dressed all in black--and
by my estimation didn't appear all that bright. "Zo," said the man in black. "Ve
ve've finally caught him, Seigfried!" The other man, Seigfried, took one look at
me and yelled, "Starker you DUMMKOPF! Zis isn't him! Zis is..is...who ze hell IS
zis?!" "It's not him?" asked Starker. "NEIN!" retorted Seigfried. "Vell vhat
should ve do vith him?" asked Starker. "Should ve put him in ze trap anyvay?"
"Nein, ve'll just have to clean it again, and you know how much trouble it is to
clean that thing," contemplated Seigfried. "Ah, I know! Get one of ze cars from
ze back lot and bring it up here! I know vhat ve'll do..."

The next morning I found myself sitting on the start/finish line of the
Nurburgring. Seigfried and Starker both were leaning in the driver's window of
my 1983 Nissan 300ZX. It was my understanding it had some work done to it--the
interior was stripped, and there was a faint whine emanating from under the
hood--a telltale sign of a turbocharger. It also sounded like the exhaust had
been opened up a little, but my attention was a bit more focused on the 100lbs
of C4 behind me.
Seigfried spoke. "You understand vhat ve'll be doing to you, ja? If you can
complete a lap in eight minutes, ze bomb vill shut off. If you can't..."
"You'll go Vrrrooom-vrrrooom--BOOOM!"
"Starker, zis is KAOS, ve don't vroom vroom here."
"Sorry."
"And don't zink ve von't be vatching you. If you get out of ze car, ze bomb vill
go off! Now go. SCHNELL!" At his word I floored the gas and raced off. It was an
old car in poor condition, and I wasn't even sure if the car would make it all
the way around the track, much less do it in 8 minutes.

From: jwrebholz | Posted: 12/8/2005 4:38:00 PM | Message Detail

BR: Any Means Necessary: Part II

Ordinarily I'm one to follow the rules. I stay between the lines, I do what I'm
told and I behave myself.

You tend to forget that crap when you're carrying 100lbs of explosives that
could detonate at any moment. I drove that Nissan like I stole it, and nothing
and no one was safe. I sideswiped another car going through Schwedenkreuz, and
hung the tail out clear through Aremburg--a risky move that paid off. Heading to
Adenaur-Forst I'd already made up my mind that I was going to cut the corner, so
through the grass I went, sliding back on the track in front of some plugger in
a Volvo. What's he worried about, he's in the safest car on the planet.
Wehrseifen was a curve I wasn't looking forward to, and there was no way to
avoid crawling through it, so on I went. I lost a wing mirror on the Armco going
through Bergwerk--and probably lost a couple seconds too. All through the entire
back stretch I could feel my time running out, and it wasn't until I reached the
second Karussell that the realization hit me that I wasn't going to make it. I
rammed the gearshift up into 4th and floored the throttle as I entered the final
straight, determined to run as hard as I could. If I was going to die, I was
going to die trying. As I came up to the bridge I watched the timer tick off.
Five. Four. Three. Two. One. Zero.


There was an explosion, but not one nearly as large as you'd expect. The
interior of the car filled with smoke, and I lost control of the car. I could
feel it spinning around and around, finally coming to rest in the grass at the
Schikane. I looked around, bewildered. I wasn't dead. In fact I was very much
alive, but I couldn't see a blasted thing. I pulled the door handle and shoved
the door open, stumbling out of the car and choking on the smoke. Seigfried and
Starker were both running toward the car, yelling in German. I wasn't sure if
they were yelling at me, or at each other. I finally stood up as they reached
the car. "You're supposed to be dead!" yelled Seigfried. "Starker, shoot him!"
Starker pulled a revolver from his coat pocket--wait, that was MY revolver...he
pulled the trigger, and instead of being shot, a tiny flame appeared at the
muzzle.
"What're you gonna do, give me cancer?" I asked.
"Ze old cigarette lighter in ze gun trick," muttered Seigfried. "Starker, shoot
him vith YOUR gun!"
"But I don't have my gun, Seigfried, I just have zis one!"
I could've stood there and listened to those incompetents argue all day, but I
had better things to do with my time--so I popped Seigfried in the nose, kicked
Starker in the jewels and took off running.

With secret agents like THIS, no wonder they lost the cold war.
---
I refuse to answer that question on the grounds that you're a moron.


From: Soulidarity | Posted: 12/8/2005 4:50:19 PM | Message Detail


Well since no one has spoken up, I'll take the WR. Since I don't think I'll be
able to announce it tomorrow morning, as the tradition has been for as long as
I've been here, I'm going to go ahead and throw it out now:

Weekend Rider tee mm

Nissan Fairlady Z 280Z-L 2Seater (S130) '78

It can be found in the classics section of the Nissan dealership. I ran about a
half dozen cars last night, and settled on this one because I thought it would
draw comparisons to the Alpine we just drove. Its bigger and heavier, and the hp
is only slightly higher (and as a result feels a bit sluggish by comparison),
but the handling reminded me enough of the Alpine that I was sold. Have fun.

vitg - got your pictures, I'll be updating the archives in the next few days.
I'm not sure what all the features on frapper! are yet, so I don't know what
that friends list is good for.

Amar - thanks, I'll credit your cars to you when I update the archives.

---
I wonder if in 1991 there were packs of low-brow dorks who hated FFIV because it
wasn't exactly like FFI? ~ Druff


From: MrPinstripes | Posted: 12/8/2005 7:06:58 PM | Message Detail

Soul- Umm... You can have the... umm... nevermind. You've already taken it.

I actually picked up a '78 Z for one reason or another (I can't remember why). I
don't like them (for aesthetic reasons), so it must have been for something
specific. Now I have an excuse to drive it. On the positive side, it does come
in a really nice dark red.

My WR picks were:

Seat Ibiza Cupra
Mazda 110S (L10B)
TVR Griffith 500
Alpine A110 1600S

My RR pick was:

Honda S800 Race Car

Since I'm watching Sesame Street right now, "One of these things is not like the
others..." comes to mind.

---
Sam the Eagle: *opens door* You are all weirdos. *closes door*
Pics- photobucket.com/albums/a346/MrPinstripes/


From: oldguy1957 | Posted: 12/8/2005 7:57:06 PM | Message Detail
BR™

Buy any beans necessary

Why did those guys hit me over the head so hard? I was still feeling a bit
woozy, trying to figure out what had just taken place over the past few hours.

I whizzed past a green sign that said “Bugsplatz”, or something like that. All I
knew, for sure, was that I was driving on a very crooked and bumpy road at very
high speeds. The words “Du haff eight meenuts, den BOOM!”, were also pretty
clear in my head. What the hell kind of accent was that? And what the hell is a
KAOS agent. Kill All Old Sailors? No, that can’t be it. Kentucky Against Other
States? Hmmm. That sounds doubtful, as well.

“Sweden Cruises”. Another one of those green signs.

“Meet Mr. 2”, the weird guy had said, and handed me a set of keys, along with
$15,000. I figured out pretty quickly that Mr. 2 was a black 1997 Toyota MR2
GT-S…1320 kilos of ass-swinging delight, with 247 hp. I used that money the guy
gave me to buy a $13,000 turbocharger kit, a $1200 wing. I spent the last $800
on a bottle of very nice wine. If I lived to drink it, it would be money well
spent.

“Birdworks”. Those green signs made no sense at all.

I’d driven MR2’s before. The 50 kilos of explosives those guys had tucked into
the front trunk area seemed to actually make it handle better than without it. I
was starting to enjoy swinging that little black ass around.

The start/finish line. That’s what I was looking for. I remembered it quite
clearly. I wasn’t quite sure what or where it was, but that was why I was
driving so fast. I had to get to the start/finish line before the digital clock
with the big red numbers on it on the dash board, which had started with eight
minutes on it, reached zero.

Easy on the brakes, then back on the gas, hard, as I flew by another green sign.
“Wimpyman” this one said. I hoped it wasn’t referring to me! More corners. More
hills and bumps. The clock was ticking down to the one-minute mark as I slid
around a corner that revealed a really long straight-away. Hammer time!! Through
“Nottingham Ho”, I thought the sign said. Strange. Did Robin Hood have a…um…lady
on the side?

The speedometer was creeping up to 160 mph as the clock ticked down to 15
seconds. Hard on the brakes. Fight to keep control. 10 seconds, and I was around
a couple more corners, then a short straight. And there it was!! The
start/finish line!! I didn’t dare look at the clock again until I crossed the
line. When I did, it read 1.755. I was still alive.

KAOS: Kick Ass Of Secret agents.

Yeah.

Time for some wine.

---
A.K.A. Don Papa

From: wanderingmuse22 | Posted: 12/8/2005 9:42:10 PM | Message Detail
\
I love the look the Datsun era Z's, and the '83 300Z is one of my favorite cars
in the game. The '74 Z is a surprisingly pleasant rally car (for an FR). The '68
Fairlady 2000 would be an excellent WR if it could be purchased new.

The '78 may not compare well in terms of power and weight to other cars, but it
has a simulationist charm not unlike that of the Miata: if you lived where you
could drive the 'Ring, a '78 280Z is a realistic choice as a "Designated Ring
Toy" (to use Ben Lovejoy's term) for a working/family person's budget. Think
about that if you try it on N2's.

Think about breaking the 9 minute mark too. I don't know if it's a realistic
goal for the 280Z on N2's, but if I owned one, and I could drive the 'Ring, I'd
hope that one day I'd know the track well enough to approach or break that mark.
My most recent three laps averaged 9'20. I imagine sports class rubber would do
the trick, but then, I doubt I'd own such tires in real life. It's definately a
"momentum" driver, but the handling is quite nice.

It wasn't until my third lap that I made peace with my power expectations of the
280, and my exit speeds benefited greatly (from better, sooner
braking/deceleration) once I quit pushing it so hard. Funny how sometimes we get
faster when we slow down. However, the 280Z drifts nicely when pushed. I don't
doubt this is one Oni would have enjoyed driving sideways.

MrP, welcome to the WR passing ball dropping club. Or is it, dropping the ball
while passing the WR club? Dropping the passing ball? Anyway, it's not the first
time the pick went to the willing as opposed the chosen, and I doubt it'll be
the last. Perhaps in the sake of fairness you could name the successor for the
following weekend? Better late than never?


From: Flibutz | Posted: 12/9/2005 2:43:28 AM | Message Detail

Another package under the tree now. Heavy for its rather small size and wrapped
in Mandelbrot-textured paper. The tag reads: From Flibutz, for your delight.

I had another car ready, but I found out it was more fun when driven stock. So I
had to look for something else and I'm glad that I did.

I drove the AC again yesterday and it's still an awesome car. Didn't have much
time for it, but I'm aiming to improve on my old time by several seconds one of
these days. The 427 was already around 250 in my ride history.

"Starker, zis is KAOS, ve don't vroom vroom here."

For some reason, I found this absolutely hilarious!

---
"All other opinions are idiotic, honestly." –Dethsentence


From: viperinthegrass | Posted: 12/9/2005 4:41:36 AM | Message Detail

G'Day all,

I finally finished the Sarthe 24 hour Enduro so now I can get back to some real
driving on the Ring and catch up with the WR & RR. The Million dollar prize and
the Bentley are okay though.

Oldguy57 – VITG starts to read BR story, ha ha ha hehe hehe guffaw titter ha ha
VITG tries to drink coffee, reads “bugsplatz” line, ha ha akk! Splutter, cough
choke.
Vitg collapses on floor half choking and half consumed with paroxysms of
laughter.
VITG gets up and wipes coffe of front of shirt and keyboard. Vows never to read
hilarious story and drink at the same time again!!
Keep those stories coming they are REALLY GREAT

Muse – That mangled quote is from the opening shots of “The Life of Brian” the
Sermon on the Mount scene.

Soulidarity – forgot to mention last post my WR picks were Godzilla and the Opel
speedster Turbo. I will send some more photos over the weekend.

Flibutz – I have sent you email with Diary Volume X attached. It is pretty big
so I hope it works.

photobucket.com/albums/d195/viperin/
---
“A Man’s got to know his limitations” – Dirty Harry


From: wanderingmuse22 | Posted: 12/9/2005 6:39:06 AM | Message Detail

JW, Oldguy, excellent work on the BR. I've posted lately but only just now am
catching up on my reading. Thankfully I'd already read the warning and had no
drink handy. Well dadgum done.


From: wanderingmuse22 | Posted: 12/9/2005 7:39:56 AM | Message Detail

So anyway. I bought a Toyota MR2 GT-S '97 on a whim last night. I didn't read
Oldguy's BR until this morning, but the two events reminded me of something: it
was one of my very first cars in Gran Turismo. GT2, to be specific. I remember
not liking it as much in GT3, so I'd not yet tried it in GT4.

Naturally, this meant I had to take it for a spin today. I cleaned the car up
(rigidity refresh, oil change, OZ rims, N2 tires), and took off for the 'Ring.
After three tire smoking laps, the MR2 GT-S '97 has a new name:

Mr Toad's Wild Ride

If I was KGB and wanted to get someone to talk, I'd make them ride shotgun. I
see now that Oldguy was, in fact, talking about the car when he spoke of the
black swinging ass, and not something he'd witnessed at the Club. Mr Toad's Wild
Ride is a loose, quick to drift car that rewards smoothness with speed and
anything less with armco.

Thank you Oldguy, for the incentive to take the ride.

Peace.

From: oldguy1957 | Posted: 12/9/2005 10:14:46 AM | Message Detail

Muse, try putting a wing on and using minimal downforce for the front. 10-15
front, 30 rear works well for me. It makes that swinging ass a little more
controllable. The "bomb" in the front had kinda the same affect, but I like the
downforce method better. She's a fun little drifter!
---
A.K.A. Don Papa


From: Imperialdramon9 | Posted: 12/9/2005 3:53:21 PM | Message Detail

Hey guys, I was just looking at my gift again, and I was wondering what kind of
price limit we have for this. I read earlier that it was 60k for the car and 60k
for upgrades. Does this mean I can just use a general 120k budget for the entire
thing, or are these numbers set in stone?
---

From: racinfool | Posted: 12/9/2005 4:53:03 PM | Message Detail

Hey anyone got some "best times" for super license test #16
7.04.202 my best--a full 2 seconds quicker than my next best time.
almost freaked myself out.i know thats a good time,as it's 3+ seconds into the gold time.....but i don't
know just how good (or bad) that really is.

"what could possibly go wrong"


From: e2car | Posted: 12/9/2005 5:09:38 PM | Message Detail

BR: All your Ring are belong to us!

I awoke to the darkness of my room, still clueless as to yesterday's events. I
remembered something about an Altezza, a Skyline, and being stuck somewhere
forever, but I guess that was all a dream. Thank goodness.

I fumbled around for the lights but struck the wall instead. Hmm...was it always
that close? Sitting up...I smashed my head on the ceiling before even getting
halfway up. Something was up.

Right about now I noticed that I was not in the comfort of my own room but
instead tied up in the trunk of some car. Sounded like a Mercedes, too. Good
car, although I'd rather be driving it.

Then there was some talk in German up in front, and the car screeched to a halt.
The trunk popped open and I wearily mumbled, "Are we there yet?", before having
a cloth with some chemical on it applied to my face.

Next thing I knew I was back at the Nurburgring. Why? I don't have a freaking
clue, but there was some guy in a black suit telling me, "You gets 8 minutes to
drive zis trak...or your vroom-vroom goes BOOM-BOOM." About then, I happened to
coincidentally notice that I was sitting in the seat of a Subaru Impreza Sedan
WRX STi (GC) '94. (Mods: Weight 1, Racing Flywheel, Driveshaft, Twin Clutch,
Sport Suspension, and a wing that works).

"But...why?" I ask, before noticing that the black men were gone and I was
already flying toward the starting line at 50 mph. As I crossed, a timer on the
dashboard flashed 8:00.

Swinging around the first turn, it became apparent that there was something
heavy in the trunk. I guess they did mean business.

And so did I. I drove around that Ring like my life depended on it (Editor:
uh...because it did?), with no care for life, limb, or car. I drove the doors
off that sucker! Literally, for about halfway through I found the right-side
mirror sheared off and the right-side door halfway open. At least this wasn't an
import car- I sat on the left.

Roaring onto the longest straightaway in history, I had a good long time to
contemplate what a fine life I haven't lived. That, and that the clock read 1
minute and my freaking car was almost at redline. So I shifted up and...there
was no 6th gear. What. The. Heck.

Coming to the slight chicane at the end of the straight, I became aware (far too
late, as always) of the fact that something was beeping. Very loudly. I took a
glance at the timer as I hurled the car into the last sharp chicane (uh...the
part where you brake really hard after the straight).

It was flashing 0:00. But I was still aliv-

We are here to mourn the departure of CCYoshi, who only ran a 8:15:285...

But wait, there's more...

---

Ring B-R
CCYoshi x 1

"You gets 8 minutes to drive zis trak...or your vroom-vroom goes BOOM-BOOM."

What? This again? I must be in hell...oh wait! I remember now...I had 100 bucks
or so left in my wallet, which was enough to buy me an extra life. Whew.

Time to kick some Ring butt.

I drove all 4 doors off the car each time, gaining time on my ghostly self
(which was still driving the Ring, mysteriously) at each checkpoint. At the
entrance to the long straightaway, I had a 10-second lead...maybe I could pull
this off...

I floored that car around the last turns like there was no tommorow, and the
timer still hadn't gone off as I rounded the last turn back onto the
start/finish straight. I could see the looks on the faces of those black men who
took me away...

But why were they running for cover?

8:04:322

[vitg]

From: Elegant_Runaway | Posted: 12/9/2005 7:31:02 PM | Message Detail

Um... I don't mean to intrude or anything.. but I've just started to memorize
the Ring, and I usually don't take the more powerful cars out there. But I
decided to see what would happen if I took an Audi R8 out. (2001, I believe)
I did a 5'53.446 on lap 2... I know it can be a lot faster, but it's all I can
do right now, I still don't have the track completely memorized.. It felt pretty
fast though I spose..
The car had 794ps, I think. I left all the settings stock except I raised the
ride height to its maximum, and lowered both spring rate settings about 1.5.
Downforce was maximum on both front and rear. Assists were off except for TCS,
which was at 3.. for my bad throttle control in low gears... Tires were racing
mediums, front and rear.. I didn't cut over any grass or ride any walls..
I was just wondering if that time was any good. I figured if anyone would know,
you guys would. So um.. is it ok?
*leaves quietly*
---
Eccentric Fox The girl in the... idk, I love all my cars. *hugs all cars*


From: MrPinstripes | Posted: 12/9/2005 8:11:43 PM | Message Detail

Vagrant Story continues to Bogart my gaming time, and a lot of my not-gaming
time, too. Damn, that game is addicting. I'll make time for the WR, I promise.

Every time I park my rear in a 90's MR2 it bites me in the ass. Every single
time. I've learned to stay away from them. I suppose that means I should pick
one up and try again, doesn't it?

Runaway- That sounds pretty good for a first ultra-high performance lap to me. I
think my first lap with the F1 was somewhere in the neighborhood of 5'45, but I
can't remember for sure. Also, you're welcome to stick around if you'd like.

---
Sam the Eagle: *opens door* You are all weirdos. *closes door*
Pics- photobucket.com/albums/a346/MrPinstripes/


From: oldguy1957 | Posted: 12/9/2005 8:48:31 PM | Message Detail

racinfool--7'04 is VERY fast. My passing time was 7'05. I just now tried it
(only ran one lap) and only hit a 7'09.

Elegant_Runaway--The F1 AI's run laps of about 5'50, so you're almost as fast as
them. A really good lap with an "out of the box" R8 would be in the 5'40 range.
---
A.K.A. Don Papa


From: Elegant_Runaway | Posted: 12/9/2005 10:19:51 PM | Message Detail

Thanks guys, I'll keep at it and update my progress. Most of the corners on that
lap, the car didn't feel like it was really at it's limits, and a bunch of my
lines and setups for good lines are off, as well as my braking points.
---
Eccentric Fox The girl in the... idk, I love all my cars. *hugs all cars*


From: viperinthegrass | Posted: 12/10/2005 6:47:04 AM | Message Detail


WR™ Nissan Fairlady Z 280Z – L 2 Seater '78

If nothing else it's got the longest name in the game.
I managed just a few laps earlier today and quite enjoyed it.
Two laps stock, 9' 06 .545 first effort then went a bit harder second lap.
It's easy to do controlled drifts and slides, I would back off before a corner
rather than brake ( except where I really had to ) countersteer to set up my
line and power away. It handled this really well and felt pretty stable doing
it. There was an lot of bodyroll evident in the replay and plenty of controlled
oversteer for a 9'01 .938

Having got a good feel for the Fairlady ( that did'nt come out quite right !!)
it was time for one lap, aids off 8' 53 . 065 and one lap aids off and N3's 9'
21. 343 but this included my one mistake a spin near Wipperman.
So all in all pretty good. Nice Car. Mine was Metallic Gold so I fitted a set of
gaudy Gold Rims to match ( second hand TKO 221's )
I did not have time for more driving as I had to help a mate out driving one of
his Wedding Cars. I have uploaded a couple of photos in My Life Album – and
before you ask JW, no it did not break down.
I also put up a photo of my Dog, Alfred – cookies if you know the breed!

For Music Buffs – I was trying to find something to go with the “Phenomenal
Cosmic Power” Fiat replay and remembered a cassette I had, David Bowie “Rare”
which I have not been able to find in any Discography or Catalogue. Anyway Bowie
does a version of “Space Oddity” sung in Italian and a version of “Heroes” sung
in German. Really good stuff. If anyone can find the Album I highly recommend
it. Also look up an Aussie Band, The Reels doing an excellent cover of the old
Freda Payne (sic) classic “Band of Gold”
For the old hippies, Hawkwind “Astounding Sounds, Amazing Music” is good to
drive to, “Reefer Madness”, “Steppenwolf”, “Kerb Crawler” and one of my
favourite driving songs “Chronoglide Skyway” this one makes the hairs on the
back of my neck stand up .
For something a bit more recent check out the Band, Black Grape - “It's great
when you're straight, yeah”

I will try and get to the Vertigo before the end of the weekend but I have got
to do some work on some Aussie Cars as well so I am going to be a bit pushed for
seat time.

More later


From: djp73 | Posted: 12/10/2005 8:09:35 AM | Message Detail

just wanted to say that although i havent posted in any of these threads i
certainly keep an eye on them and run some of your events when i have time

your Holiday Car Exchange sounds fun, would i be able to possibly get in on that
sacked do you mind if i borrow the idea

anyone on here is welcome to poke their head in the Official Budget Building
Triathalon Challange and join up, its quite fun




Page 19 of 21 | Next Page | Last Page The
Nurburgring Diary: Volume XII


From: sackedagain | Posted: 12/10/2005 9:59:37 AM | Message Detail

Regarding the price on the gift exchange. Yes, the limit was 60/60, but don't
worry about it. My gift will cost someone 136k cr. to build. Just wasn't happy
with the performance till that point. Tis the season, I guess.
330 test miles on the gift car, btw. Best lap, 7:09. It's a gripper.


From: Soulidarity | Posted: 12/10/2005 10:06:01 AM | Message Detail

The 'ring diary photo gallery is open for business! The archives have been
updated to reflect this, as well as adding the latest WR, BR, and RR, and
crediting all RRs and WRs that I can to their "submittors".

gt4ringdiaries.blogspot.com/

I'll make my runs in the latest BR and RR pretty soon.

---
I wonder if in 1991 there were packs of low-brow dorks who hated FFIV because it
wasn't exactly like FFI? ~ Druff


From: wanderingmuse22 | Posted: 12/10/2005 10:42:02 AM | Message Detail

I don't have the requisite technology to transfer pictures around, but if
someone had some RUF pictures to share, that gallery would be the perfect place
for them.

Would it be too much to say let the best photographer of the RGT, BTR and
Yellowbird win? Win what? Why, viperinthegrass' cookies, of course. I've had my
best spies put to work on unearthing the recipe.

---
For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will
be the coming of the Son of Man. Matthew 24:27


From: Onikaze | Posted: 12/10/2005 12:38:25 PM | Message Detail

Well, I have been gone for most of a month and find the 12th volume still going
strong, kudos guys.

Myself, I am obsessed with Enthusia, it completely ruined GT4 for me, went out
and bought a cheap little Madcatz Microcon Wheel just to use the Gas pedal as a
clutch, and gave GT3 and GT4 to the son of one of my girlfriends co-workers.

God I wish this game got the attention it deserves, I was cruising the Ring in a
CTR, was happy to pull a realistic 7'49, and was nervous and shaky after I
completed the lap because it was genuinely frightening keeping that car under
control every time my left foot went down and the wheels broke loose,
heel-toeing and downshifting like a madman, countersteering, mashing the gas,
flicking the wheel back straight just to do it all over again, and I'm only
halfway through Flugplatz!

I'll check in on you guys, but I'm officially done with GT4, I tried to get into
it, tried to tell my left foot it didn't need to kick everytime I shifted, even
tried to pretend my now refined heel-toe skills weren't going to waste as I
fought through enough understeer to bring a grown man to tears.

So, yeah, this is Onikaze, drifting out of sight.

Keep on 'Ringin guys.
---
If I wanted to play as a girly and whiny emo guy I'd play one of the single
player FF games.BlackBladeRune on MGS2


From: wanderingmuse22 | Posted: 12/10/2005 2:15:10 PM | Message Detail

Oni, have you seen the blogspot site? As a 'Ring legend, it would be to the
Diary's honor if you plotted yourself on the map before you go. It's not the
same without "Mr Sideways", and never will be.

Happy trails, regardless!

---
For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will
be the coming of the Son of Man. Matthew 24:27


From: Soulidarity | Posted: 12/10/2005 4:02:07 PM | Message Detail

Gillet Vertigo

heh. Well, its certainly a fast car. But using that speed to record fast laps
requires one to keep the car in forward motion. I spent nearly as much time with
my face in the armco, and spinning the car, as I did going forward. It honestly
felt like the tires lost grip with the road often, and braking power suffered
because of this. Softening up the suspension might have had a dramatic effect on
this monster, but I'm afraid to mess with suspensions much as I'm more likely to
FUBAR them before I make them better. The gearing could probably use some work
as well, since I would redline extremely early in any sizeable straight.

Did I mention that it was fast?

I added a couple pictures to the ring diary gallery exhibiting my lack of
control in the Gillet.

On a side note, this is one of a couple of cars that I've been curious about
since GT3, but never bothered to pick up and drive. At least my curiosity has
been satiated. With that in mind...

*takes dibs on this week's RR


From: Imperialdramon9 | Posted: 12/10/2005 4:03:34 PM | Message Detail

Onikaze- Well, its good to at least hear you saying that you quit, and didn't
just plain leave. I hope Enthusia lasts for you.

I would be doing the WR right now, but I'm currently working on the F1 series.
Race 2 is driving me crazy, given I need to do the pit stops perfectly to get
first place. I will probably find the time to test the car on Sunday (I've
already bought one).


From: MrPinstripes | Posted: 12/10/2005 4:12:47 PM | Message Detail

I have the "Evo Sandwich" picture in my collection (A juicy Lancer WRC on a BTR
and Shadow bun... Yummy!), but no other Ruf pictures. I'm sure I can remedy that
eventually.

Oni- Enjoy yourself, man. That is, after all, what this video game stuff is for.

---
Sam the Eagle: *opens door* You are all weirdos. *closes door*
Pics- photobucket.com/albums/a346/MrPinstripes/


From: Soulidarity | Posted: 12/10/2005 5:33:02 PM | Message Detail

Any Means Necessary

"We're giving you one chance to live. Call it a game. Make it back here in time,
and we shut off the bomb. If you don't make it, well..." the agent said to me as
he slammed the driver's door shut, and the timer began. So I hit the gas. What
else could I do?

What in God's name had I gotten myself into this time?

*****

"Have a good day, Mr. Darity," the "sandwich specialist" said to me as he handed
me my change.

I nodded with a smile. I loved these sub sandwiches. Anything less was simply
not an acceptable lunch. I walked out the door, and headed up the street back to
towards the office, blissfully munching on my sandwich on the way.

I was pulled out of my momentary paradise as a black van screeched to a halt
next to me, and two masked men jumped out of the side, pulling me into the van.
Someone put a wet rag over my mouth, and the world went dark...

*****

"Wake up, Mr. Anderson, or should I call you 'Neo'?"

It felt like a dream, and everything was hazy as I forced my eyes open.

"Ah, Mr. Anderson. So Nicccce to see you."

"Wuuuhh? Wh- who are you? What's going on?"

"Oh, such a shame, I was hopinnnggg you'd be more cooperative."

I was more than a little confused, and the only words I could muster up were, "I
don't understand...."

The suited up man slowly and deliberately removed his sunglasses, and placed
them on the table. "Perhaps this will help you remember." He thrust his hands
towards me grabbing my head with both hands, exerting an unimaginable force upon
my temples with his thumbs. I screamed in agony. The pain was like nothing I had
ever felt. My eyes began to feel like they were going to pop, my ears were on
fire. I could no longer see, hear, or feel. Pain was all that I had left as my
life began to melt away. And there was nothing I could do to stop it.

The pain suddenly stopped, and I slumped forward. I slowly regained my senses,
and as my eyes began to focus, I saw my torturer talking quietly with a
similarly dressed man, still wearing his sunglasses. My torturer glanced briefly
my way, reached down for his sunglasses, and placed them back on his face.

"It would seem that we've made a mistake," he said to me in the most casual
manner. "Your resemblence to a certain fugitive issss uncanny."

He nodded to someone behind me, and a wet rag found my mouth once again. I tried
to wiggle free, but the darkness found me first.

*****

From: Soulidarity | Posted: 12/10/2005 5:33:19 PM | Message Detail

I found myself behind the wheel of a Subaru Impreza. I poked my head out to
notice racing slicks equipped on the car.

"We're giving you one chance to live. Call it a game. Make it back here in time,
and we shut off the bomb. If you don't make it, well..." the agent said to me as
he slammed the driver's door shut, and the timer began. So I hit the gas. What
else could I do?

What in God's name had I gotten myself into this time?

It appeared that I was on the famed Nurburgring Nordshchleife. I had never been
here, but I had played enough video games to at least know what the course was
going to throw my way.

As I plowed through the grass on the outside of Flugplatz, the clock counted
down to 7 minutes. This was insane. Everything was a blur as I drove on
instinct. As I neared Aremburg, I nearly lost it, but managed to maintain
control, and pull out with a little help from the nitrous equipped on the car.
As I neared Adenaur Forst, I decided to cut across the grass to make up some
much needed time. I was halfway between Adenaur and Metzgesfeld when the timer
hit 6 minutes. I managed to drive reasonably clean all the way to Karussel, then
made liberal use of the grass up until Pflantzgarten. I was starting to feel
confident, as things were looking good.

This was nearly my downfall as I went into Schwalbenschwanz too hot, and smashed
into the wall. Somehow the WRX was still driveable, and I pulled away from the
wall, but my line was screwed and I ended up in the sand at Schwalbenschwanz's
second corner. I pulled out and hit the nitrous, nearly pulling through
mini-karussel too fast as well.

But I pulled it together to get a good line through Galgenkopf, and dropped the
hammer (with a little help from the nitrous once again) onto the DH straight. I
flew through the first arch with 59 seconds to go, and the second arch with just
over 30 seconds left. As I made my way into the final set of turns, I lost
control and went sideways into the wall. Somehow I wasn't hurt, and the car was
able to limp across the finish line with 6 and a half seconds to spare. Upon
crossing the finish line, the timer immediately stopped, by my captors were
nowhere to be found.

They had kept their deal, and released me, but now I had to get myself home....


From: Soulidarity | Posted: 12/10/2005 6:27:47 PM | Message Detail

by the way, I used an Impreza (don't remember exactly which one) from the used
car lot with 244 hp, or something right around there. I changed its oil, washed
it, put a racing chip, nitrous, and R1s on it which brought to exactly 15k.
First one chance only BR that I've managed to "pass"

---

From: jwrebholz | Posted: 12/10/2005 7:49:55 PM | Message Detail

Weekend Rider: Datsun 280Z '78

If any car needed horsepower to come alive, it's this one. Its handling is
pretty good for an older car--thank radial tires for that, most likely. With a
relatively high curb weight, and only 150 horsepower out of its 2.8L straight
six, you aren't going to get far. I actually didn't leave third gear on my run
up to AngstKurve, but on the up side I took Schwedenkreuz flat out (something
only a handful of cars can do in this game). Fifth gear in this car was almost
useless--it wouldn't have hurt this car much to only have a 4-speed. Unmodified,
the car ran an easy but unimpressive 9:14.

Then I popped the hood. I thought to myself--self, what do a lot of people do
with these old Z cars to get some more power? Why, they swap in an small-block
Chevy! While a SBC swap isn't exactly possible, it can be mimiced easily enough.
First, add about 30 kg just aft of the front axle to simulate the extra heft of
the larger engine. I think I'll go with a relatively conservative motor--since
the small-block Chevy V8 is available as crate engines making anywhere from 290
to over 500 horsepower, the sky's the limit. So I think I'll be going for an LS1
swap. That's 340 honest horsepower with as broad of a torque curve as I can
manage. I'll add in a T56 6-speed transmission too. I'll let you know how it
goes!
---
I refuse to answer that question on the grounds that you're a moron.


From: Soulidarity | Posted: 12/10/2005 7:51:57 PM | Message Detail

hehe, neat project

---

[vitg]

From: MrPinstripes | Posted: 12/10/2005 8:50:50 PM | Message Detail

It's time for me to play Budget Rider Catch-Up. I'm going to make these a bit
truncated to fit in as few posts as possible.

Nurburgring Diary Zone

I'd been standing in line for what seemed an eternity. Several dubious-looking
yahoos were also waiting their turn, each eventually talking to the unnamed Man
in Black (definitely not Johnny Cash). He had a tittery, grating giggle, whoever
he was.

By the time I'd reached the front of the line, I'd heard the speech dozens of
times;

"I just ran a *blah blah blah* time in my super-neato Touring Car. Pick any car
you want and try to beat my time, and I'll send you home. Fail, and you're stuck
here. *Titter*"

So far, he'd held true on his word. Those who passed were given a pair of
ruby-colored slippers. Those who failed were given a copy of "War and Peace".
Ouch.

I shuffled up to the front of the line, and was halfway through his oratory when
a strange look crossed his face.

"Blah blah blah, 7'47, blah blah blah. Pick any car you... You know what? I'm
bored. You still have to beat my time, but you have to do it in your car. Here
you go."

A '92 Honda Civic appeared in front of me. Not exactly my Civic (wrong engine
and transmission, wrong color, hatch not sedan, etc), but close enough to blow
any hopes I had out of the water.

"Have fun! *Titter*"

And with that, he vanished.

There was a gift certificate to a store named "Ricers (backwards) 'R' Us"
sitting on the driver's seat, so I drove over and started putting in my order.

Receipt:

SR Exhaust- 2,800
Racing Chip- 1,000
N2O- 5,000
Twin-Plate Clutch- 2,500
Racing Flywheel- 900
Stage 2 Turbo- 12,500
Sports Suspension- 3,000
R2 Tires- 10,000
Weight Reduction 1- 1,000
3D Type AB Wing- 1,200

Total- 39,900 Cr.

With all the aftermarket stuff crammed into my Civic, it wasn't such a horrible
ride. The understeer was still noticeable under power, but it would slip out a
bit if I popped off the throttle. Very useful for correcting.

I saved the nitrous for critical corner exits, with a 110 mph cutoff point on
short straights, a 130 mph cutoff on medium ones, 150 on the Dottinger-Hohe
straight and a full-blast run up the Bergwerk-to-Mutkurve run.

Thankfully the Civic had a long enough 5th to use all that go-go juice without
bouncing once. I snuck around the last corner at 7'40 and blasted the last bit
of my N2O before the finish line.

Final time: 7'45, please and thank you! Now gimme my damn slippers!

---
From: MrPinstripes | Posted: 12/10/2005 9:43:53 PM | Message Detail

Any Means Necessary

I awoke in darkness. I was lying face-down on a moldy-smelling stone floor, and
judging from how I felt, I'd been there a while.

A voice sounded from behind me.

"Good evening, Mr. Bond! Welcome to S.P.E.C.T.R.E. Headquarters. I hope you
enjoy your stay."

I shook my head, which hurt like a sonofa*****.

"Mr. Who? What the **** are you talking about?"

"Don't play your games with us. We know who you are, and we know you have what
we need."

"Listen, asswipe. All I have right now is a splittling ****ing headache. I'm
also a bit fat and a lot too short to play Bond."

I heard him mutter something to someone else, and the blackness split open with
a screech. I couldn't see much past the doorframe, but a man stood just outside
the door, holding something in his arms. Something that purred. There was
another figure off to the side, too.

Apparently I wasn't who he wanted to see, since he took one look at me and
immediately slapped the other guy in the chest. They argued back and forth a bit
in another language, then the door slammed shut again.

A bit of indistinguishable time went by, and again my cell door ground open. A
different man was standing in the doorway, holding some fresh clothes and a set
of car keys.

"Normally we would kill you, Mr. Whoever-you-are,"

"Pinstripes," I interjected.

"Shut up. We have a task for you. It is a task which, if successfully completed,
may earn you our leniency. We need you to deliver a package to a certain Mr.
Bond. He'll be staying at this location."

"The Butler" handed me a brochure for a ritzy German hotel. We approached a set
of double doors, which opened automatically.

The room was huge, but the only thing in it was a tiny black TVR V8S.

"All you must do for us is drive this car and leave it in the hotel parking lot.
Nothing more."

"Alright. What's the catch?"

"The catch is there is a bomb in the back of the car, and you only have just
over 8 minutes to get to the hotel. Your time starts now."

He pressed a button on the keychain and a eerily muffled beep sounded from
within the trunk of the TVR. He tossed me the keys, turned on his heel, and
walked out of the room.

I jumped in the car and twisted the ignition. The Rover V8 roared to life with a
satisfying growl.

"Not quite stock, I'd wager."

I slammed the gearshift into first and lit the tires up, screaming out of the
garage like the hounds of Hell were on my trail. And, in a way, they were.

Here's the thing. This whole situation sorta pissed me off. I'll usually let
some pretty harsh stuff slide, but kidnapping and strongarming get me in a bad
mood, and quickly.

I blew past their hotel and took a twisty back road on the brochure map- one
that led right back to the "super secret" HQ I had just left. All I had to do
was get there in less than 5 minutes or so...

The TVR handled the extra weight well, though it wanted to swing a bit more than
I would have liked. I had a few close calls, nearly putting my rear tires into
the dirt and ending my mad dash for vengeance.

I had a plan, though. The final few turns before their HQ (It was on the damn
hotel brochure! How "secret" did they think they were?) were really tight, so
I'd be going slow. I began rummaging around in the back seat for something about
3 feet long and sticklike. I found a snow brush.

"Perfect!"

The moment of truth arrived. I swung around the final bend, wedged the snow
brush down onto the gas, and rolled out the door and onto the grass.

A few seconds later the car exploded in a phenomenal display of destructive
force. How I survived, I'll never quite know.
From: MrPinstripes | Posted: 12/10/2005 9:47:11 PM | Message Detail
TVR V8S in Moonraker Black, 243 HP (Garage)

126 kg ballast @ 45- 76 for me (@ 30) and 50 (@ 50) for the bomb

Final Time: 7'53
Mods: R2s, Twin Plate Clutch, Sports Exhaust

I'd like to apologize to Amarynceus (and anyone else who's bugged by this kind
of stuff) for all my tense-switching and bad useage.

I'd also like to apologize for my hack writing- there's a reason I quit writing
fiction back in high school.

---
Sam the Eagle: *opens door* You are all weirdos. *closes door*
Pics- photobucket.com/albums/a346/MrPinstripes/


From: Soulidarity | Posted: 12/10/2005 10:02:58 PM | Message Detail

nah, the "hack writing" just comes from throwing a story together in a matter of
5 minutes. That's how I do most of my writing on this board. They're still
enjoyable reads. I love seeing how we all come up with different takes on the
same backstory.

None of us have editors to catch some of the basic things like tense switching
that we might overlook (see "to towards" near the start of my latest BR
writeup). I commit plenty of these errors that I would be a lot more careful
with if I was writing with anything more in mind than giving the dozen or so
readers here something to smile about for a few minutes.

---
I wonder if in 1991 there were packs of low-brow dorks who hated FFIV because it
wasn't exactly like FFI? ~ Druff


From: jwrebholz | Posted: 12/11/2005 7:50:50 AM | Message Detail

Weekend Rider Part II--The Swap

You'd be surprised how easily a small-block Chevy V8 fits under the hood of one
of these first-generation Z cars. It's almost as if they were made to take one.
The 290-horse small-block (I can't simulate an LS1 because you can't do more
than double the car's horsepower without nitrous) and T56 six-speed went in
easily enough, and the car didn't seem to mind the extra heft. I had forgotten
to switch the differential out for a Posi model, but it turned out to not affect
things too much.

This car really comes alive with more power. The car really can handle the extra
ponies (and extra weight) without much difficulty. The suspension IS still on
the soft side, but on a track this bumpy that's not necessarily a disadvantage.
Just by adding power, I was able to shave more than 45 seconds off my time--from
9:14 to a much more respectable 8:23. Top speed increased from around 125 MPH
(drag limited) to over 150 MPH (drag-limited, 5th gear)

Here's what I did.
NA Stage 3
Port-Polish
Balancing
Chip
Semi-Racing Exhaust.
FC Transmission with the following gear ratios
1st - 2.66
2nd - 1.78
3rd - 1.30
4th - 1.00
5th - 0.74
6th - 0.50
Final Drive: 3.56
---
I refuse to answer that question on the grounds that you're a moron.


From: Flibutz | Posted: 12/11/2005 10:20:59 AM | Message Detail

WR: Nissan Fairlady Z 280Z-L 2seater '78

A nice one. Though it felt a bit overweight for the power, or underpowered for
the weight, it was an enjoyable car. I started on N2s, figuring they'd be better
suited for the relatively low power. It was fun all right. At first I had some
trouble judging how far it'll drift after losing grip. It always takes some time
to get used to a grip level, but usually not this much. Since I drove the Z in
the morning, it might be that I was still partly asleep in the beginning or
something. Not necessarily because of the car.

I, too, would have liked a little more power. With 2.8 liters of displacement in
a medium weight car, the straight line performance is a bit disappointing.

Fortunately, the same doesn't go for handling. Clearing Schwedenkreuz on N2s at
200km/h+ (~125mph) is not something you can do in a bad car. It was also capable
of taking Mutkurve flat-out. The Z turned effortlessly and liked trailbraking.
In esses, it felt a bit heavy for a 1225kg car as the mass wasn't very quick to
change turning direction. I didn't let it drift much - it performs much better
when gripped.

With S2 tyres it felt even better in a way, but the lack of power felt worse. On
N2s, it didn't really bother me much though I'd have preferred some extra
ponies. On S2s it felt like it was begging for them. The engine swap idea sounds
like a nice twist, and since the details are already figured out I think I'll go
for it. Thanks for sharing the idea, JW!

On N2 tyres, I did a 9'07.915... ...8'37.897 on S2 grade.

I also revisited the AC 427 S/C '66. I had forgotten how uber-soft the
suspension is. Otherwise it was like I remembered, crazy and fun. I had a lot
easier time handling it than I did the last time, and turned a 7'20.613 lap as
my fastest.

While I was at it, I tried Mr.P's setup (one vote for you, Mr.P) for the car and
found it brilliant. Even though it's tuned for DFP it worked very well with pad,
too. Just added 1 "click" of TCS. Here's a link for anyone interested:

www.gtvault.com/gt4/setup-view/s_sid::3397/AC-427-S-C/

I recommend checking it out as it's a crapload of fun. I managed a 7'49.305 BTW.
(the setup is for N2s)

I'm planning to do some more laps in the Vertigo today.

About my gift exchange car, it's well under the budget "limit" but very
enjoyable and reasonably fast, too.
---
"All other opinions are idiotic, honestly." –Dethsentence


From: MrPinstripes | Posted: 12/11/2005 6:29:07 PM | Message Detail

I was hoping to put a few more posts between my BR extravaganza and my WR
review, but the weekend is swiftly waning.

--- WR ---

I had driven my Z before, but I can't remember where or why (as I mentioned
earlier). It was on N2s but had no driver ballast, so it was from quite a while
ago.

I haven't been too impressed with any of the older Zs. They all have an odd
habit of sliding, and not in a good way, either. I can't say that they
understeer, because they don't, but they do seem overly bound to Newton's First
Law of Physics.

Once you take into account their reluctance to change direction, they're not too
bad. The Z will step out a bit if you're not careful, and once it starts it's a
bit hard to get back under control.

I clocked in at 9'13.xxx on N2 tires. That run wasn't perfect by any means, but
it was clean and fairly fast.


From: wanderingmuse22 | Posted: 12/11/2005 7:21:28 PM | Message Detail

Once you've driven the WR, I highly recommend you take the Nissan Fairlady 2000
'68 for a spin. It only comes used, but after adding N2's, oil change and
rigidity refresh (and of course, no driving aids), I think you'll find the ride
you were looking for in the '78 (it's 300kg lighter).

I enjoyed the '78 Z, but after I finished my WR runs I drove the '68 and
realized it had the feel I was looking for. It's not necessarily faster, but the
acceleration of the lighter car held my attention, and it has the same
entertaining oversteer.

Oddly enough, before it's selection as WR, the '78 Z was in my workshop to
become a Christmas gift. I hadn't quite finished the tuning, but now that
everyone has one, it's back to the drawing board. Ah well. We have until the
16th, right?


Also, I have another end of the year Nurburgring Diary Poll Question (as a
follow up to "Your Top 5 WR's"):

If you could create your own race (choose all six cars, number of laps, tuning
limitations, tires, cash prize, and prize car) on the Nordschliefe, what would
it be?


From: Soulidarity | Posted: 12/11/2005 8:09:58 PM | Message Detail

hehe, sorry muse

---
I wonder if in 1991 there were packs of low-brow dorks who hated FFIV because it
wasn't exactly like FFI? ~ Druff


From: wanderingmuse22 | Posted: 12/11/2005 8:15:04 PM | Message Detail

Nothing to be sorry about, Soulidarity- it's a good WR pick, and I don't mind
shopping.

---
For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will
be the coming of the Son of Man. Matthew 24:27


From: Soulidarity | Posted: 12/12/2005 2:10:26 PM | Message Detail

Racing Rider

This week, we'll be taking the Ford Falcon XR8 '00 out for a spin. It can be a
bit understeerish, but with the right line, it can nearly take Schwedenkreuz
straight out. The suspension feels good for the ring, and the transmission is
set up reasonably well, though it could stand to have some minor tweaking.

Have fun!

---

[vitg]

From: jwrebholz | Posted: 12/12/2005 2:11:48 PM | Message Detail

If I could pick my own race...

Let's see. It'd be a 10-lap race. As for the opponents--you probably saw this
coming, considering my disposition to torquey monsters--all American muscle
cars. Old-school (and new-school) GTO, Chevelle LS6, Shelby Cobra, all the
Camaros, all the Corvettes, the Chrysler 300C, both Buicks, all the old Mopars,
and the Mustang. The prize car would be Richard Petty's Plymouth Superbird
NASCAR special (I know it's not in the game, but It's MY series and if I want it
in there I'll say it's in there)
---
I refuse to answer that question on the grounds that you're a moron

.
From: Soulidarity | Posted: 12/12/2005 2:27:27 PM | Message Detail

btw, who's picking next weeks WR person, me or Mr. P? I kinda pushed my way in
last week just to make sure we had one, so Mr. P never really picked anyone. If
you you want to pass the WR torch this week, its all you.

---
I wonder if in 1991 there were packs of low-brow dorks who hated FFIV because it
wasn't exactly like FFI? ~ Druff


From: MrPinstripes | Posted: 12/12/2005 2:54:38 PM | Message Detail

A "Dream Race", huh?

Well, if we pretend that the AI can drive, I think a Model T endurance race
would be a lot of fun. No tuning, obviously (since the Model T can't be tuned).
8 laps would take around 2:00, or roughly equivalent to the shorter enduros.

The cash prize is fairly irrelevant, but the prize car should be something like
a '32 (for Havok) or a '34 (for me) Ford Coupe. I just like the looks of the '34
better.

If I were allowed to design one that wasn't on the Nurburgring, I'd do a short
(~2 hours, so I can drive it) Citta di Aria endurance race. Production cars only
on S-grade rubber. The opponents would be in the 2.0-2.5 P/W range (Saleen S7,
CTR, Shelby Cobra, etc), just to keep things interesting. The prize car would be
a bottle of tranquilizers...

Soul- I was on my way to "volunteer" you, but you beat me to the posting punch.
The next lucky contestant is your problem.

Anyone have any good ideas?

---
Sam the Eagle: *opens door* You are all weirdos. *closes door*
Pics- photobucket.com/albums/a346/MrPinstripes/


From: Soulidarity | Posted: 12/12/2005 3:27:01 PM | Message Detail

Has viperx2002 ever picked a WR? I haven't seen him around in quite some time,
but if you're lurking, and want a WR, its all yours. If not, I'll see if one of
the newer guys wants to pick one, or maybe Amar, since he hasn't picked us a WR
in quite awhile.

---
I wonder if in 1991 there were packs of low-brow dorks who hated FFIV because it
wasn't exactly like FFI? ~ Druff


From: viperinthegrass | Posted: 12/12/2005 3:31:59 PM | Message Detail

For me a custom designed race at the 'Ring would have to involve all things Ruf.

Basic rules would be say, 25 laps, S grade tyres so pit stops are required, cars
run stock.

The field could either be :
One model races i.e. all RGT, 3400s, Middlefingerbird etc.
or
Mixed field excluding the baby Ruf

Cash prize say 50k but the prize car(s) would be the main temptation.

Prize Cars - LM Racecar versions of all the Ruf range presented on a random
basis.

Speaking of Ruf, I will send some more photos in for the Ruf competition later
today. Will the comp photos have their own sub album?

More later


From: wanderingmuse22 | Posted: 12/12/2005 3:42:00 PM | Message Detail

Polyphony Digital did us all a great disservice by not having RUF one make races
on the 'Ring. I absolutely second your choice, viperinthegrass.


From: Flibutz | Posted: 12/13/2005 4:17:53 AM | Message Detail

Fairlady 2000 '68

Yes, it's a very enjoyable car indeed. I think it handles better than the 280Z,
though it seems a wee bit slower in most corners. It makes that small difference
up in acceleration, and I'd say it's a little faster overall compared to 280Z.
Or maybe not. I only drove it on N2s for a BL of 9'04 against the 9'07 in 280Z
so they're practically identical as far as laptimes go.

The 2000 is lighter, and it feels like it. It's faster in changing direction and
I didn't notice any power understeer, as I did in the 280Z.

The 280Z engine-swap experiment

It's going okay. Now it has enough power to justify the S2s, but the suspension
is out of its league. I guess I'm going to install SP or SR suspension. That
should make it handle the way I want it to.

Vertigo:

The more I drive it, the more I want to detune it. I did several laps more, but
didn't break into 5's, let alone besting my earlier 5'55. Flugplatz is such a
nightmare in the Vertigo! And as any bump can be fatal, I've had enough of it
for now.

RR:

The Falcon, eh? I tried it briefly on the ring a while ago, it might be just the
relaxingly stable car we need after driving the frustrating Vertigo.

Dream Race:

I, too, second the RUF idea. If I come up with any ideas of my own, I'll get
back to the subject.
---
Lately, I've been driving the stock Dome Zero for relaxation. Now there's a
compliant car! Shame it's so hard to get. I also duplicated it by buying another
one off my backup save and did some modding: Stage 2 lightening and NA tune,
stock suspension and no LSD but otherwise fully modded on S2s produced a
stunning car. Not much seat time yet in it though.

I know at least Mr.P and ciscrack should have one, have you driven it on the
'Ring? If so how did you like it?
---
"All other opinions are idiotic, honestly." –Dethsentence


From: wanderingmuse22 | Posted: 12/13/2005 4:50:03 AM | Message Detail

Flibutz, I can honestly say I'll not be driving the Dome. I am glad you liked
the '68 Fairlady. Have you driven the DeLorean?

---
For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will
be the coming of the Son of Man. Matthew 24:27


From: sackedagain | Posted: 12/13/2005 6:55:49 AM | Message Detail

Under the Ring Tree:

Me, Mr. P., Imperial, sidewinder, jwrebholz, soulidarity, viper and flibutz.

Friday is the deadline for getting into the holiday gift car exchange. I'll pick
names out of the hat over the weekend.


From: wanderingmuse22 | Posted: 12/13/2005 8:19:15 PM | Message Detail

I'd like to place a small package under the tree: the wrapping paper is a nice
mix of gold and orange, with a flat metallic ribbon.

Any thoughts on the Falcon yet?

---
For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will
be the coming of the Son of Man. Matthew 24:27



From: Flibutz | Posted: 12/14/2005 4:02:42 AM | Message Detail

muse - Yes, I have driven the DeLorean. It's another fine car with relaxing
handling. Just a little less sensitive and refined than the Zero. As the
oversteer is very subtle for RR, it might be a perfect car for someone taking
their first steps into the wonderful world of rear-engined cars.

My first DeLorean was accidentally sold or something, because at one point I
noticed it just wasn't there. As I was collecting all the cars, I deleted my
backup save, started a new game and bought it off of that mem card. Having to do
three licences and 10 driving missions just to get one car might sound like a
bit much but the DMC was easily worth it. It would probably handle some extra
power easily so I might duplicate it, too.

RR: Ford Falcon XR8 '00

Just like I remembered. Wonderfully stable, though a little too understeery for
my tastes. But hey, that's what the adjustable settings are for! I didn't dare
to mess with the suspension setup much, only softened the dampers a bit. But
playing with the LSD settings is more straightforward. The Falcon really does
not need much LSD effect at all, I used 10-12-5 and experienced no wheelspin
problems whatsoever. Also, I lessened the rear downforce a bit, 5 ticks or so.

Now taking the right-hander before Hatzenbach flat out was a breeze. Even
Schwedenkreuz was possible without lifting the throttle, though the success rate
wasn't good. I ended up lifting just a little in mid-corner most of the time.
Still, the car retained most of its stability and was a very comfortable drive
at all times. The long wheelbase (and probably some other things) makes the
Falcon's stability hard to destroy!

My best lap so far is 6'14.434 which was a bit sloppy in a couple of corners but
mostly pretty damn good, I think.
---


From: wanderingmuse22 | Posted: 12/14/2005 4:58:52 AM | Message Detail

I think an "understeerish" racecar makes for a great RR because we get to see
how people tune it, and perhaps learn a bit. Problem solving is both
entertaining and telling, no?

Who was it that was enamored of late with the Lotus Carlton? I bought a book
called "The Ultimate History of Fast Cars" by Jonathan Wood. It's a large
"coffee table" book (big, with big pictures but light reading). It has all
manner of cars, many of which I can only wish were in GT4. However, one of them
is the Lotus Carlton (which it calls the Vauxhall Lotus Carlton), which
officially peaked my curiosity about the car.

Evidently it's supposed to go 186 mph, and that was it's claim to fame. Does it?
I'll have to drive it soon myself, but I was impressed that not only did the
Carlton make it into GT4, but also into a "Hall of Fame" book about fast cars.


---
For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will
be the coming of the Son of Man. Matthew 24:27


From: Soulidarity | Posted: 12/14/2005 5:07:03 AM | Message Detail

It was me, muse. I really don't pay much attention to mph, though, so I can't
answer that part of it, but I have read sites proclaiming it to be "the world's
fastest saloon car". Also, I believe it was dubbed the Carlton in Britain, and
the Omega in mainland Europe. I know Vauxhall had their name attached to it,
though I can't recall if it was attached to both the Carlton and Omega names.


From: viperinthegrass | Posted: 12/14/2005 6:55:02 AM | Message Detail

WR™ Nissan Fairlady Z 280Z - L 2 Seater '78 Revisited

As a warm up I tried out Muses suggestion, the '68 Fairlady and was pretty happy
taking off almost thirty seconds in two laps ( aids off, N tyres ) best lap 9' 15 .311
I like the way these old girls do a really good job of fast double right or left
handers, by the time the back end has stopped sliding and is under control from
the first, you are pointing exactly at the apex of the second corner, feels
really good.
Next was the 280 Z in stock form with aids off N tyres. I did a much better
drive than last time ( no prangs ) and was very pleased to improve to a best of
9' 02 . 995

Then it was time for a trip to the Gym for a workout, a couple of shots of
steroids in the butt - ocks and to fill the tank with Charles Atlas protein
shake.
For some reason JW I could not replicate your transmission settings but I got
near enough, everything else was as per your makeover.

Well, the pumped Fairlady ( that did not come out quite right either !) was
terrific. I really do like these Older Cars in this lap time range. I had a
really good, fast, clean lap and never looked like stuffing it in the Armco, I
dunno why but the oversteer was minutely controllable - had a great time through
the Karussel tap tap tapping for countersteer, full throttle and holding a
perfect line then hauling up out of the exit with the tyres screaming in
protest, excellent!
Finished off the lap nicely as well to stop clock at a very enjoyable 8' 02 .535

Nice one JW

WanderingMuse22 - I was wondering if I could ask you a favour as I need some
advice on a project, if you have the time could you send an email? Thanks.

I am planning to put in a big effort on Friday Night (that also did not come out
quite right !) Oz time so I can work on the Vertigo, Ford Racecar and the
various raceclubs. I doubt I will ever get the Dome or the T Model either so at
least I can put that aside for a ( long ) while.
This will clear the decks a bit in preparation for the Gift exchange, can I open
mine now, can I huh huh ?

PS
Thrashing the living smeg out of the Fairladies cheered me up no end as events
in Oz the last few days have really worried and depressed me. I would like to
vent my spleen at the major culprits ( our Fascist Govt. ) but I would probably
be arrested for sedition and never heard of again ! This is not really the
proper forum for such things anyway. This time of year is supposed to remind
people about Peace on Earth and Goodwill to all Men but at the moment there
looks like fat chance of that happening.
So instead of getting morose I have decided to do my bit for cross cultural
awareness and understanding and offer my training course in Ozspeak 101 with an
ongoing online translation service thrown in as well. Tired of wondering what
the hell those Aussies are talking about? Then sign up, its free ! Lessons start
with my next rider writeup.

More later.

---
photobucket.com/albums/d195/viperin/


From: Flibutz | Posted: 12/14/2005 8:20:27 AM | Message Detail

The Carlton was called Opel Lotus Omega here.
---
"All other opinions are idiotic, honestly." –Dethsentence


From: wanderingmuse22 | Posted: 12/14/2005 3:56:05 PM | Message Detail

viperinthegrass, I'll be happy to help with anything I can, just let me know
where to email, or you can email me at kenpersons at yahoo dot com.


From: Soulidarity | Posted: 12/14/2005 4:28:33 PM | Message Detail

I would have liked to have passed the WR on to viperx2002, as I don't recall him
ever picking one for us, but he seems to be MIA ever since he placed himself on
the map. Amar hasn't picked one in quite some time either, but he sort of just
pops into the diary from time to time these days, then isn't heard from for a
week or two at a time. Most of the new guys, like Dramon, don't post much, and I
have no idea how much they're reading.

muse, Mr. P, and myself have all picked WRs recently. vitg and Flibutz are
really the only other two (have we dwindled that much?) that seem to be reading
and posting frequently enough for me to know that they'll read. As I don't have
any WRs recorded for Flibutz, I'm passing the torch to him for this weekend.

Pick us a good one, mister speed demon.

---

From: Soulidarity | Posted: 12/14/2005 4:38:11 PM | Message Detail

And just for the record, I'm not ignoring the top five WR and dream circuit
races. I just honestly don't have an answer for them. I have loved nearly every
WR we've driven, even the unwieldy ones like the Spyker, so picking 5 favorites
is nearly impossible for me.

The only thing I can think of that I'd want on the ring is possibly an all
Carlton one make, but I wouldn't want another Carlton as the prize car unless
there was something unique about it (maybe a different color than the dark green
that we're stuck with?), so I'm not sure about the prize car thing.

---
I wonder if in 1991 there were packs of low-brow dorks who hated FFIV because it
wasn't exactly like FFI? ~ Druff


From: wanderingmuse22 | Posted: 12/14/2005 5:06:39 PM | Message Detail

I think Flibutz should be banned from picking WR's until he tells how he posts
those wicked fast laptimes. (kidding, kidding)

Amarynceus said once that he lurks, so if you (or anyone) nominated him, I don't
doubt that he'd come through. Don't forget Imperial for new guys who are posting
quite a bit. Lots of guys pop in for a "quick post" here and there, perhaps we
regulars need to work on our hospitality.

However, I'd bet a very shiny penny that the Flying Finn will suggest a solid
car. If I remember correctly, he nominated me for my very first WR pick, so I
know he's had one, though I don't remember what it was (I picked the Cien), and
it's been a while (at least one or two full volumes).

---
For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will
be the coming of the Son of Man. Matthew 24:27


From: Soulidarity | Posted: 12/14/2005 5:15:04 PM | Message Detail

Well, that would make the Audi Quattro '82 Flibutz's pick. I'm pretty sure I
remembered him having at least one pick since I've been here too, but I just
don't have him offiicially archived with one.

---
I wonder if in 1991 there were packs of low-brow dorks who hated FFIV because it
wasn't exactly like FFI? ~ Druff


From: Soulidarity | Posted: 12/14/2005 5:22:18 PM | Message Detail

I'm not sure what can be done with our hospitality, though. There's always 2 or
3 people welcoming everyone who introduces themselves to the diary, but I think
where the "problem" might be is that we don't all congratulate each other on
every run, and the lack of response to a new guy's run might make them feel
ignored?

I'm not sure that going out of our way to change this would be productive use of
the diary though, as it would fill up too fast with congratulations posts, and
not enough content posts.

Maybe something needs to be added to the introductory post explaining this
somehow in an attempt to re-assure the new guys that their posts are being read
and acknowledged?

---
gt4ringdiaries.blogspot.com/


From: wanderingmuse22 | Posted: 12/14/2005 6:15:34 PM | Message Detail

It's altogether probably over-analyzing, which is fine too. It shouldn't take
long for anyone to figure out they're welcome. Speaking of, did everyone get
their gift under the tree?

Also, would it be branching too far off topic to make our Christmas party a
potluck dinner, where everyone brings a covered dish? Meaning, when you post
your "gift" car, post a recipe, either of a food indicative to your locale, or
just a personal favorite you'd like to share?

---
For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will
be the coming of the Son of Man. Matthew 24:27


From: Soulidarity | Posted: 12/14/2005 6:20:33 PM | Message Detail

heh, I'm so not a cook. I honestly have zero recipes. But I can call a relative
for a recipe for a dish that I enjoy

---
gt4ringdiaries.blogspot.com/


From: oldguy1957 | Posted: 12/14/2005 9:50:57 PM | Message Detail

I don't believe any changes need to be made to encourage participation. I think
The Diaries have many more "lurkers" than we realize. I believe people
participate at the level at which they are comfortable...which is as it should
be.

I read each and every post, but participate only when I believe I have something
at least minimally significant to add, or if I have a different take on one of
the "riders" than I've seen previously posted. For the stories that have
recently been inspired by the BR scenarios, I post when I feel inspired to do
so, and/or when I believe that my post has some amount of entertainment value. I
enjoy writing, especially when I think others will also enjoy what I write. To
post on every Rider, though, seems more like an "assignment", which is not so
enjoyable.

It is obvious that some of us (and I don't include myself in this group) have a
higher knowledge level than others when it comes to cars and handling
characteristics. It's possible that some may feel a little intimidated because
of this. They (we) shouldn't. Everyone's opinion is interesting, whether they
are at a higher or lower knowledge level. I find some the posts from relative
"newbs" to be some of the most interesting. Successfully herding a tail-happy
drifter around the ring, at speed, for the first time, for example, is a very
enjoyable experience. We each make that first discovery, that we are capable of
it, only once. So experiencing it again through others is always a good read.

I seem to be pointlessly rambling, so I'll stop before I bore everyone too
terribly much.

I would like to add, however, that there will not be a package under the cyber
tree from me. Please don't be offended. It is a personal choice that has nothing
to do with religion or anything so profound, and would take too long to explain
to hold a reader's attention, so I'll just leave it at that.

Happy Ringing to all, and to all a good night.
---
A.K.A. Don Papa


From: ciscrack | Posted: 12/14/2005 10:23:46 PM | Message Detail

Lurker a.k.a. ciscrack here. I've had every intention of continuing my
participation in the diary, but I've been stuck on an a-spec run that should end
tomorrow if all goes right. One 200pt. race to go for 100K, then I'll be free to
F' around all I want.

---
I wish somebody would give me a golden shower. 1. I like gold. 2. I like
showers.-Robert Freeman
photobucket.com/albums/a282/ciscrack/?sc=1


From: Flibutz | Posted: 12/15/2005 6:03:21 AM | Message Detail

Thanks for the WR torch, souli.

Nope, I didn't pick the Quattro. I picked the Caterham in vol.IX, and the Spirra
maybe two months ago. I have a true offbeat choice up my sleeve, one that no one
would probably expect to ever make the WR, but since it's a slow seventies car
I'll save that for later.

Instead, we're going to run a lot faster car this weekend. But fear not, it's
very controllable for a car that fast. In fact, it can make you feel like the
Lord of the 'Ring. Yep, the handling is that good.

It's very expensive for a road car, so be prepared.

It is obvious that...

I fully agree with this paragraph. Right on point! Especially the more
challenging cars will feel totally different to people with different experience
levels and I truly enjoy reading how they look from different angles, so to
speak.

ciscrack - Wow, you're closing in on the magic 100k! You have me beat by almost
40k there.

I'm not a cook either. If I get a simple sure-fire recipe from someone I might
post it, but no promises there.

From: ciscrack | Posted: 12/15/2005 7:42:53 AM | Message Detail

I forgot to post my donation to the potluck. CHEESECAKES! My favorite dessert. I
enjoy makin' 'em, everybody loves eating them. What's your flavor? I have yet to
go christmas shopping, you know, the Great Procrastinator. I'll try to get that
done this weekend.
---
I wish somebody would give me a golden shower. 1. I like gold. 2. I like
showers.-Robert Freeman


photobucket.com/albums/a282/ciscrack/?sc=1


From: sackedagain | Posted: 12/15/2005 9:44:09 AM | Message Detail


Interesting.

This thread has lasted 12 volumes without a cross word posted.

We have shared our ideas on everything from suspension setups to marital
conflicts over GT4 times to the relative quality of cork vs. non-cork stoppers
on fine wine.

We are spending, I suspect, hours building cars to give away to each other for
the holidays. And, now hosting a potluck.

Yet, we worry people don't feel welcome here?

Maybe we are just too damn pleasant to hang with...

[vitg]

From: jwrebholz | Posted: 12/15/2005 2:42:38 PM | Message Detail

Considering the typical Internet conversation consists of "U SUCK!" "NO, U
SUCK!" "NO UR A **** AND I HOPE YOU DIE!" and so on and so forth. It's a shock
to see people not screaming at each other.

A potluck too, eh? Well I do have a killer lasagna recipe...but you all aren't
getting it. It's my pride and joy and I ain't handing it out to you lot. I'm
sure I can come up with something I'm willing to part with, though.

Like many, I say stuff when I feel I have something to say. Speaking of, I'd
like to pre-emptively claim the BR for next week. I've got an idea.
---
I refuse to answer that question on the grounds that you're a moron.


From: Soulidarity | Posted: 12/15/2005 4:20:46 PM | Message Detail

I read each and every post, but participate only when I believe I have something
at least minimally significant to add, or if I have a different take on one of
the "riders" than I've seen previously posted. For the stories that have
recently been inspired by the BR scenarios, I post when I feel inspired to do
so, and/or when I believe that my post has some amount of entertainment value. I
enjoy writing, especially when I think others will also enjoy what I write. To
post on every Rider, though, seems more like an "assignment", which is not so
enjoyable.

ya, I actually should have included you in my short list of active posters here,
but (don't take offense to this) forgot about you when I was posting that. I
suppose by now I should realize that ciscrack, jwrebholz, and sacked are reading
at least somewhat regularly as well.

---
gt4ringdiaries.blogspot.com/


From: Imperialdramon9 | Posted: 12/15/2005 5:26:44 PM | Message Detail

Argh, my present will have to be given tommorow, and I'm still not satisfied
with the gift I'm giving. Oh well, I'll just have to see how it goes, and hope I
don't look like a Scrooge. That would be bad.
---
Xbox Gamertag - Xenigma
SLAI Alias- Xenigma Chip Name- Omega Team- Vanguard


From: ciscrack | Posted: 12/15/2005 5:46:09 PM | Message Detail

I'm always checking in on what's going on, I've been distracted lately, but I
also have a hard time coming up with stories like some of you guys' post. When I
do write something, it's more based on my observations and experiences. For
example.....

A few months ago I was getting gas(you know, supporting terrorism), and this guy
comes up to me asking for change. Not just any change, mind you, he specifically
asked for "35 cent". I didn't happen to have any change on me, so I said "Nope,
sorry bro". So he left and went to ask the only other person at the gas station
at 5:30 in the morning for the same. At that point I realized that every single
time someone in Oakland asks me for change, I especially love when they ask to
"borrow" change, they always ask for "30" or "35 cent". So tonight I was out,
walking around the neighborhood, macarthur to telegraph to51st to piedmont and
back around and this way and that, I happen upon an older Af-Am couple, probably
in their forties. They don't seem to look needy, or broke(who among us isn't
though) and certainly not homeless, but as I approach them, the woman asks
for,yep, you know it, "35 cent". I happen to have a quarter in my pocket, so I
gave it to her. Right after I passed them, there's an older Af-Am gentleman
standing on the corner. Now, he didn't ask me for change but he did ask if he
could buy a cigarette off me. Of course he couldn't for the obvious reason that
I don't smoke but it just seemed weird, like if I did sell him a cigarette, I
could've ran after the woman and given her more change, if I was really that
nice.

Now, I have two questions to ponder. The first is why do they always ask for
that amount of change? I figure that if they just ask for spare change, there's
a good chance that all they will get is a bunch of pennies and maybe a nickel or
two, and even the brokest mother****er doesn't want a ****load of pennies, even
if it adds up to $100, cause then what, that's gonna weigh like 50 lbs. or more.
I know those guys don't have enough energy to carry 50 lbs. of pennies arond all
day, and they can't put 'em in their shopping carts or else they'd fall right
out. Maybe if they had a box in the cart to put 'em in, but then when the
shopping cart gets away from them, like they always do, and it goes rolling off
the curb, well now you just have 100,000 pennies rolling out in the street, into
the gutter, down the storm drain, under parked cars, and this sorry ass homeless
guy's trying to chase down every single one of 'em(not like he's got anything
better to do). So that could be one reason.

My other question is that, say they ask me for "35 cent", which is inevitable,
and I happen to have13 quarters, seven nickels and one dime, and I proceed to
give them what they ask for(obviously, I'm going to give them the seven nickels
since that would relieve the most weight from my pocket), would that person feel
cheated that I only gave them "35 cent", or would they be cool with it and
proceed to ask the next person for "35 cent"? Or did that person really only
need "35 cent" and now they can handle they bidness? Things that make me go
"Hmmm?"

BTW-"YOU GUYS ARE A BUNCH OF POOPYPANTS!"

---
I wish somebody would give me a golden shower. 1. I like gold. 2. I like
showers.-Robert Freeman
photobucket.com/albums/a282/ciscrack/?sc=1



From: viperinthegrass | Posted: 12/15/2005 8:19:07 PM | Message Detail

Ciscrack - An interesting social observation. Perhaps those panhandlers are too
embarassed to ask for three fiddy?

photobucket.com/albums/d195/viperin/
---

Hitch Hiker's Guide To The Galaxy- Entry under VITG - "Mostly Competent"


From: Imperialdramon9 | Posted: 12/15/2005 8:37:00 PM | Message Detail

Most of the new guys, like Dramon, don't post much, and I have no idea how much
they're reading.

Yeah, I guess I haven't been posting too much, have I? I've just been awfully
busy recently, given that the school is giving me tons of work for the end of
the semester, including my midterm exams. I've been able to check on the diaries
(though not neccesarily post) daily, and haven't found enough time to actually
do anything in-game. I will be participating in the car exchange tommorow
though, since I plenty of free time to do so.
---
Xbox Gamertag - Xenigma
SLAI Alias- Xenigma Chip Name- Omega Team- Vanguard


From: Soulidarity | Posted: 12/15/2005 8:44:32 PM | Message Detail

Don't get me wrong. I'm not trying to throw you a guilt trip. We've all got our
lives to live, and no one should feel obligated to spend any more time than they
want to or have time for participating.

I was really just voicing my thought process in making my pick for the next WR

On the other hand, if you choose to post here more in the future, we'd certainly
all love to have you around.

---
gt4ringdiaries.blogspot.com/


From: oldguy1957 | Posted: 12/15/2005 8:59:29 PM | Message Detail

RR™

Ford Falcon XR8

Ya know, it would have saved me some time if someone would have mentioned the
fact that this is an AUSSIE Ford, not an American Ford. As I mentioned before,
not all of us are as knowledgeable about such things as some of you.

Anyway, the car is very fast and comfortable to drive. Perhaps just a touch too
much push. I like my really fast cars to lose the front before the back, but the
Falcon needs to loosen up the rear just a hair. There's no way in hell I'd ever
be able to run a 6'14 (Kimi's time) with it, but I DID run a pretty comfortable
and clean 6'28.

The run felt so fast that I had to look at my top 10 (which I haven't done for
some time) to see if I made it in. I just did, at #10. I was surprised to see
that I had run a faster time with the Vertigo.

Just for poops and giggles, here's what my top 10 list looks like:

1) F1...........................................................5'19
2) R92CP....................................................5'34
3) R8...........................................................5'47
4) Motul Pitwork Z.......................................6'13
5) Nissan GT-R Concept LM Race Car..........6'14
6) Chaparral 2D..........................................6'20
7) Camaro LM Race Car...............................6'21
8) Gillet Vertigo...........................................6'23
9) BMW M3 GTR Race Car............................6'24
10) Falcon XR8............................................6'28

I'm not trying to impress anyone with these times (as they are not particularly
impressive). I was just struck by a couple thing when looking at it. One, that
there are so many cars right in that 6'20 to 6'24 range. And two, that the 2D is
at the top of that list. I didn't remember it being so fast.


From: ciscrack | Posted: 12/15/2005 10:45:59 PM | Message Detail

That silver box, hiding way in the back, with the black ribbons. That's from me.
Be careful opening it though, it might bite you in the ass when you aren't
looking.

---
I wish somebody would give me a golden shower. 1. I like gold. 2. I like
showers.-Robert Freeman
photobucket.com/albums/a282/ciscrack/?sc=1


From: Flibutz | Posted: 12/16/2005 1:39:21 AM | Message Detail


WR:

I picked the Pagani Zonda C12 '00, the mildest of the wicked Zonda bunch. Hope
you like it!

Best lap so far a beautiful 7'14.686.
---
"All other opinions are idiotic, honestly." –Dethsentence


From: wanderingmuse22 | Posted: 12/16/2005 4:34:33 AM | Message Detail

Sweet choice Flibutz! I love the Zondas, though I've not driven them near as
much as I'd hoped (even my beloved Zonda Race Car, a source of pride, has 0.0
miles). Thanks for the excuse to get caught up, y'all have a great Friday!

---
For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will
be the coming of the Son of Man. Matthew 24:27


From: Flibutz | Posted: 12/16/2005 6:19:15 AM | Message Detail

Just a laptime update:

7'10.494 on S2s. Not as beautiful but more aggressive than the earlier lap.

Replay soundtrack: Inside Every Man... by Koxbox, included in the game. It's
EXACTLY the right length. I noticed this by accident as I was studying the
replay, the jukebox just happened to pick the right song for it. And I think it
fits the feel and look of the car well. Besides, I've always liked Koxbox and
it's a fine track IMO. Unlike, say, Etnica or Hallucinogen. I like those artists
too, but the tracks in GT4 are way below their usual level. I think of Simon
Posford (Hallucinogen) as a musical genius but his other, non-trance projects
are the reasons why I say this. Check out Shpongle and Younger Brother if you're
into the trippy stuff.

7'24.382 on N3s. Behaves very nicely on these.

I have more to say on the car, but I'll let you guys shoot first.
---
"All other opinions are idiotic, honestly." –Dethsentence


From: jwrebholz | Posted: 12/16/2005 7:59:04 AM | Message Detail

I still have nightmares from the last time I drove a Zonda. My skill level is
not high enough to handle a beastly thing like that. But I'll give it a try
anyhow.

On a more amusing note, it was snowing here yesterday. Not that this is an
unusual thing to happen to Pennsylvania in the winter, but you see, the trucks
weren't out. So the hill I live on was all snowy and icy. Over the course of the
evening I watched more than half a dozen cars--including one Hummer H2--try and
fail to make it to the top of the hill. Most of them would get about 1/3 or so
of the way up, stop, spin their wheels, then start sliding backwards. I thought
it was funny as hell. Then the H2 showed up and I said to my brother, "10 bucks
says he doesn't make it past our mailbox." Our house is about half to 2/3 of the
way up. The H2 built up a solid head of steam at the level bit on the bottom of
the hill and started up. That head of steam was lost--quickly--and the big truck
stopped moving forward just at the edge of our driveway. Then, with the rear
tires spinning, he started sliding backwards. Then he kinked to one side, nearly
taking out my neighbor's fence, then slid SIDEWAYS down the hill to the bottom.
So now at least I'm 10 bucks richer. (Meanwhile, I should note that my father,
who drives a 1992 Ford Ranger pickup truck, made it up the hill without
issue--and the truck is a 4-cylinder, without 4WD, and an empty bed). I also
made it up the hill without problems, and I drive a Cavalier with 3-season tires
(not M+S rated). I walked down the hill to the Hummer driver and asked him if he
was having trouble and would he like some help. he said sure, can you get me
out? I said no problem, and in about 10 seconds extricated his H2 from the
snowdrift it had settled in (after he'd been playing with it for considerably
longer). Then I put it in 4-low, and with him in the passenger seat slowly
crawled up the hill. I stopped in his driveway, but he didn't thank me--I think
he was a little embarassed.

As for the H2 itself, I didn't like driving it. The thing has a blind spot big
enough to hide the USS Enterprise, and the pedals weren't sensitive enough for
fine throttle control. It was a very comfortable truck, though--and for 50,000
bucks it oughta be.
---
I refuse to answer that question on the grounds that you're a moron.



From: Amarynceus | Posted: 12/16/2005 8:55:10 AM | Message Detail

Thank you, jw, for that piece of wintry cheer. Excellent... another piece of
justification for my opinions that (1) Hummers are teh evil and (2) most drivers
are morons, especially in the snow.

XD

Ah, I'm in a much better mood now.

Zonda, eh. Cool. I was considering one of those for a WR pick for some future
weekend when I felt like I'd been contributing enough to nab a WR pick.

---
From: oldguy1957 | Posted: 12/16/2005 9:47:01 AM | Message Detail

jw, if you'd had a video camera rolling, you probably could have sold the
footage to a TV news station for a few extra bucks!!
---
A.K.A. Don Papa


From: sackedagain | Posted: 12/16/2005 11:21:42 AM | Message Detail


Okay, Holiday Ringers.

Time is running out on the gift exchange. If you're getting in, say so now.
Tomorrow or late tonight, I'll draw lots. Here's a list of secret santas:

me, Mr. P, Imp (who is still tweaking), sidewinder, JW, soul, vitg, flybutts
(sorry, flibutz, I think that when I see your name and it makes me chuckle. Or
as David Spade would say, "there, now I've said it". ), wanderingmuse, and
ciscrack.

ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh....



From: viperinthegrass | Posted: 12/16/2005 3:14:21 PM | Message Detail

One sleep to go!
It has been stinking hot here so it does not feel very Christmassy yet but I am
getting into the mood, I love it.

I was going to post my cookie recipe before the Gift exchange but someone stole
it ! Damn those T.H.R.U.S.H agents. Grrr! I will have to come up with something
else.
Seafood is a big thing over here at Christmas so I might do something along
those lines.

More later - over & out
---

Hitch Hiker's Guide To The Galaxy- Entry under VITG - "Mostly Competent"


From: Imperialdramon9 | Posted: 12/16/2005 8:09:31 PM | Message Detail

I think I've been called 5 names now in the Diaries, though I guess that happens
when you create a GameFAQs account while watching cartoons (namely Digimon). I
think I finally have the present finalized, though don't expect a highly tuned
racing machine.

Anyways, onto the WR. I do like Pagani Zondas, so this was fun for me to do. I
ran out, bought a C12 stock, and immediately raced it around the track once,
because that was really all that I needed to see. The one thing that bugged me
was that it wasn't as fast as the other two Zondas at the dealer. However, it
handled pretty well throughout the course, so the loss of speed wasn't too bad.
I still ran into the armco 2-3 times, but that is what my average GT4
Nurburgring lap is like. I certainly felt fast, keeping a fairly high speed
through the corners. My lap time still isn't all that impressive, especially
compared to Flibutz. Did you use an oil change or something?

Lap Time: 7'54.760
---

From: wanderingmuse22 | Posted: 12/16/2005 9:49:33 PM | Message Detail

What I meant to say is, I was browsing through the photos on the blogspot site,
and I must say, VITG, the picture of the BTR and RGT side by side driving right
into the camera is outstanding.

ID? Impdra? Maybe we could have a contest for how many names you get.
Regardless, don't feel bad about falling short of Flibutz's times. He's faster
than any I've seen. We all kinda have to drive at our own pace, but this is a
good crowd for track tips, if a particular section gives you trouble.

---
For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will
be the coming of the Son of Man. Matthew 24:27


From: Imperialdramon9 | Posted: 12/16/2005 9:58:31 PM | Message Detail

Nah, they really don't give me trouble, its just a lot harder to keep a good
pace with a 13 mile track than a 3 mile one. Even the 8 lap race on Forza
Motorsport gives me the chills, because its hard to produce consistantly good
laps on this track, though I am certainly capable.

Yeah, I have noticed that Flibutz is really good. Is he running the car stock,
or has he changed oil/assists? I pulled mine off with a stock, so it only seems
logical that he has an oil change, though I'm still not sure about assists.

As for names, you can probably figure out my preferred name from my sig. I'm
generally called Xeni by my online friends. I would make a new account here, but
this account has been nicely aged, and I'm awfully close to the Elite karma
level. I really don't want to give that up and start at newbie status again. So
yeah, I'm kind of stuck with the wierd nicknames.
---
Xbox Gamertag - Xenigma
SLAI Alias- Xenigma Chip Name- Omega Team- Vanguard

[vitg]

From: Flibutz | Posted: 12/17/2005 3:27:13 AM | Message Detail

Yep, I habitually change the oil for my cars. In Zonda's case, I'm not using any
aids. I sometimes resort to TCS with very powerful cars.
---
"All other opinions are idiotic, honestly." –Dethsentence


From: jwrebholz | Posted: 12/17/2005 5:38:53 AM | Message Detail

I think I've found a recipe I can share. It's a Russian torte--we make it every
year for the holidays--and for the family Christmas party--and it usually lasts
about two hours. I'll give the recipe along with the car.
---
I refuse to answer that question on the grounds that you're a moron.



From: sackedagain | Posted: 12/17/2005 5:53:37 AM | Message Detail


Ringers Holiday Gift Exchange

It's 8:30 a.m. Saturday here in Michigan. We've got a foot of snow out there and
the solstice (winter, not Pontiac) has yet to arrive.

This thread started on March 10 of this year. Thanks to all of you for the daily
contribution to my appreciation of GT4 since then.

Okay, the drawing for santas starts right now. Yup, it's live.

TO: Ciscrack
FROM: Soul

TO: Wanderingmuse
FROM: Sidewinder

TO: Flibutz (hee hee)
FROM: Sacked Again (oh boy, now I get to see how fast this thing really goes)

TO: Viperinthegrass
FROM: Flibutz

TO: Soul
FROM: Mr. P.

TO: JW
FROM: Ciscrack

TO: Sidewinder
FROM: Wanderingmuse

TO: Imperialmanofmanynames
FROM: JW

TO: Mr. P
FROM: Viperinthegrass

TO: Sackedagain
FROM: Imperialmanofstillanothername

Feel free to post the car and specs in your package. And, what the hell, let's
open the gifts right away. Reports back. And, do I understand that pictures of
the gifts can be posted to the blog?

Merry Merry to all.


From: sackedagain | Posted: 12/17/2005 6:21:59 AM | Message Detail

TO: Flibutz
FROM: sackedagain

S.A. Holden S.S.

Holden Commodore S.S. in red hot red
with Yokohoma Racing Rims 004 and R3 tires.

Engine Mods:

Stage 1 tuning
Port polish
Engine balance
Racing chip


Drivetrain Mods:

Fully customize trans
Fully customize LSD


Suspension: Semi-racing

Weight reduction: stage three


Suspension tuning:

(first number front, second back)

SR: 6.5, 5.0
RH: 109, 109
SA: 8, 8
C: 2.0, 1.0


Transmission tuning:

Auto: 12

1-2.980
2-2.023
3-1.499
4-1.122
5-0.896
6-0.699
Final-3.460

Limited Slip Diff tuning: 10, 40, 20.


This Aussie is built to fly and tuned specifically for the Ring, where it tested
for more than three hundred miles. I'll let Fli do the numbers, but with over
400 hp and neck-snapping torque, the S.A. Holden might be capable of a sub-seven
in the hands of a very fast driver. (I'm sure if someone can do it, it's Fli.)
I've had it in the low 7:10s and over 180 mph. Handling is solid; a gripper with
the R3s. Exciting with R1s. And impossible to drive on sports tires.


Page 27 of 29 | Next Page | Last Page The
Nurburgring Diary: Volume XII


From: jwrebholz | Posted: 12/17/2005 6:33:00 AM | Message Detail

And now for the second part--my holiday recipe to share with you all.

Russian Torte

2 cuip ground nuts (we use walnuts, but I assume you could substitute pecans or
something similar if you wanted)
1c sugar
1t cinnamon
Combine. Set aside about 1/2c for topping

3 sticks butter (unsalted)
4c flour
4 egg yolks
1/4c warm water
1/4c milk
1 pkg dry yeast
2 jars (12oz) apricot pastry filling (we always used apricot, but I suppose you
could use whatever fruit you wanted)
Note: DO NOT SUBSTITUTE MARGARINE FOR BUTTER! I don't care if it "bakes like
butter". Don't do it. Just don't.

Combine yeast and water and set aside. Sift flour into a mixing bowl, add butter
and mix as for pie dough. Lightly beat egg yolks and add along with milk and
yeast. Blend and stir batter until it pulls away from the side of the bowl.
Place on a floured board (or your counter) and knead for a couple of minutes.

Divide dough into 3 equal pieces. Roll out one piece and place into a lightly
greased 15x10x1 jelly roll pan (NOT a cookie sheet!). Work the edges of the
dough up the sides of the pan and spread out all but 1/2c of the nut mixture
onto this layer.

Roll out the second section of dough and place it over the first, working the
edges up the sides of the pan. Spread out the apricot filling on this layer
evenly. Then cover with the final layer of dough, again working out to the edge.
Take a fork and prick the dough (cover the top layer in little holes), then bake
in a 350-degree oven for 45 minutes. Let cool thoroughly before icing.

ICING

1/2c scalded milk--let cool
1 egg white, beaten to stiff peaks

CREAM:
1/2c shortening
1/2c butter
1c granulated sugar
Combine all of these in a stand mixer using creaming method (add
butter/shortening first, turn on mixer, slowly add sugar until thoroughly
combined). You don't have to use a stand mixer, but it's easiest this way.

Fold egg whites into the creamed mixture. Add HALF the milk and resume beating
until soaked in. Then add the remaining half and continue beating until it's
soaked in. Spread icing evenly over cooled torte and cover evenly with the
remaining nuts. Cut into bite-size pieces. Stored in an airtight container it'll
last for...well, I don't know how long it'll last, because I've never seen it
last more than a few hours!

Yes, there are raw eggs in the icing. If this bothers you, tough crap. We've
made this every year for decades and nobody's EVER gotten sick from it in the
50+ years this recipe's been in my family. If you're that concerned about it,
use pasteurized eggs, which are available in most supermarkets.
---
I refuse to answer that question on the grounds that you're a moron.


From: jwrebholz | Posted: 12/17/2005 6:36:41 AM | Message Detail


OK Imperialwhatever, Merry Christmas, Happy Chanukkah, whatever floats your
boat, you know. I hope you can really wring this puppy out.

This ride's a throwback to the days when men were men and gas was cheap. My gift
to you is the 1964 Pontiac Tempest LeMans GTO in Starlight Black. This beauty's
been outfitted with the finest selection of aftermarket components for your
driving pleasure, including a custom 6-speed transmission (FC trans), twin-plate
clutch, racing flywheel, fully-customizable Positraction, a carbon-fiber
driveshaft, racing suspension, a stage-2 weight reduction, racing brakes, stage
1 NA tuning, JE0226 retro-type rims, a set of R2 racing slicks to help put that
power to the ground, and a full load of fresh oil. I've done some tuning already
and come up with the following suspension and transmission settings.

Trans:
1st: 3.088
2nd: 2.093
3rd: 1.534
4th: 1.179
5th: 0.949
6th: 0.801
Final Drive: 3.23
LSD
IT: 15
ACC: 45
DEC: 20
Suspension (F/R)
Spring Rate: 6.6/6.0
Ride Height: 120mm/120mm
Shock Bound: 7/7
Shock Rebound: 5/5
Camber: 2.0/1.0
Toe: 0/0
Stabilizers: 5/5

I can run a clean 7:45 in this car without hardly trying. There's at least
another 30 seconds in this beast.

I left the exhaust at stock for a reason--there's nothing that quite compares to
the rich, warm tone of a Pontiac 389 and I couldn't bear to alter it.
---
I refuse to answer that question on the grounds that you're a moron.


From: MrPinstripes | Posted: 12/17/2005 6:43:27 AM | Message Detail

The family is going to be gone for the weekend, so I'm going to start the 24
Hour Nurburgring endurance race. We'll see if I can actually win it this time or
not.

This unfortunately means that (assuming I decide to give the full race a try)
I'll have to wait until sometime next week to try out my present and the Zonda.

Viper- Thank you! I can't wait to see what's inside!

--- Mr Pinstripes' HGE Gift ---

Soul- Inside the tiny hunter green and gold package (make sure you don't open
your own by mistake!) is a...

2002 Toyota MR2 Spyder in Blue Mica (other colors available for exchange). It
has the following modifications:

Sports Exhaust

Racing Brakes
Brake Balance Controller
- 6F/8R

Racing Chip

FC Transmission (adjust in this order)
- AS: 19
- FD: 3.04 (adjust for each track, if desired)
- 1st: 2.98
- 2nd: 2.05
- 3rd: 1.54
- 4th: 1.23
- 5th: 1.00
- 6th: 0.80

Supercharger

FC Suspension
- SR: 6.4F/7.5R
- RH: 110F/R
- SB: 6F/7R
- SR: 8F/5R
- CA: 2.0F/2.5R
- TA: 2F/0R
- ST: 5F/4R (raise the rear for more oversteer, lower it for less)

N2 and S2 tires on Enkei 011 wheels
Dirt and Snow tires on Enkei 013 wheels

Stage 1 Weight Reduction

Driver ballast (optional) @ 0

I set the car up to be capable and enjoyable on every track in the game. As
such, she has some very long gearing, and hits over 170 under her own power
(with room for drafting, too). The supercharger should keep her from bogging
down, but feel free to adjust the final drive if you want a bit more get up &
go.

Enjoy, and happy holidays!

---

I don't have any recipes worth posting, since I just sorta cook by "feel". I'll
start with a base (noodles, meat, bread, whatever), then start adding whatever
stuff strikes my fancy until the food is either edible or toxic. Then I either
eat it myself if it's edible or make the dog eat it if it's not (the cats are
all too smart).

I've had some sucesses (super-garlic chicken stir-fry, in which four heads of
fresh garlic met their demise) and some resounding failures (cheesy whiskey
noodles, which tasted like stale barf).

Have fun, all.

---